What are the most spectacular roads in Italy?
Located in the southern part of Europe, Italy is a dream for drivers as it hosts the mountain passes (the Alps), coastal drives (Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Ligurian), and some of the most famous scenic routes in the world.
Choosing only a few roads to drive in the country is nearly impossible, as there are about 600 spectacular routes. Stelvio Pass is Europe's most famous road. At an elevation of 2,757m (9,045ft) above sea level, the pass is located in the northern part of the country. It's one of the highest roads in Europe. Featuring 48 hairpin turns, the road through the summit is a marvel of engineering.
If you prefer coastal drives, you must experience the breathtaking Amalfi Coast Road. The road follows the shoreline from Sorrento south to Salerno. The road has been featured in films since cameras started rolling at 24 frames per second. If you want to feel like James Bond, don’t skip Strada della Forra. A small car with a functioning horn is recommended. For skilled drivers only. The drive is known by motorcyclists from all over Europe, as it is impressive and not without danger in a few narrow and steep spots. If you prefer roads with a story, don’t miss the Strada delle 52 Gallerie, a WWI military mule road. Built on the massif of Pasubio, it was constructed in this position to stay away from Austro-Hungarian artillery fire.
Driving the SP335 to Colle Bettone: A steep Piedmont challenge
Located in the rugged Province of Cuneo, in the Italian region of Piedmont, the drive to Colle Bettone is a hidden technical test for any mountain driver. Reaching an elevation of 1,834m (6,017ft) above sea level, the road—known as the Strada Provinciale 335 (SP335)—is a winding path that cuts through the base of Monte Bettone. It is a route where the peace of the Alps is constantly interrupted by the reality of a narrow, crumbling pavement and ramps that push standard engines to their limit.
How to drive the iconic road to Godi Pass in the Abruzzo
Passo Godi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,588 m (5,209 ft) above sea level, located in the province of L'Aquila, in Italy.
Valico di Monte Cristo
Valico di Monte Cristo is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.767m (5,797ft) above the sea level, located in the Abruzzo region of Italy.
Colle delle Selle Vecchie: Driving the Alta Via del Sale Border Track
Colle delle Selle Vecchie (known in France as Col de la Celle Vieille) is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,099 meters (6,886 ft) above sea level, located on the border between France and Italy. Situated within the Ligurian Alps, the unpaved track through the pass forms part of the famous Alta Via del Sale, a former military route connecting the Province of Cuneo in Piedmont with the Alpes-Maritimes department.
Sella di Leonessa
Sella di Leonessa is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.890m (6,200ft) above the sea level, located in the Central Apennines, in Italy.
How To Travel To Barmasse Refuge
Rifugio Barmasse is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.169m (7,116ft) above the sea level, located in the Alps, in Aosta Valley, Italy.
Monte Botte Donato
Monte Botte Donato is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.928m (6,325ft) above the sea level, located in the Calabria region of Southern Italy.
Driving the rugged 4x4 road to Colle de Carsene in the Alps
Colle de Carsene is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,221 meters (7,286 ft) above sea level, straddling the border between France and Italy in the Cottian Alps. This pass is a key segment of the famous Via del Sale, an ancient salt route transformed into a military road during the Second World War. Today, it is a technical challenge for off-roaders, where the comfort of modern SUV driving is replaced by the physical reality of jagged rocks, steep unprotected ledges, and the unpredictable weather of the high alpine ridges.
The breathtaking road to Forcella di Alleghe
Forcella di Allegheis a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.823m (5,980ft) located in the province of Belluno in the Italian region of Veneto.
Cime Bianche
Cime Bianche is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.899m (9,511ft) above the sea level, located in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.
Colla di Langan
Colla di Langan is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.044m (3,425ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria.
How to drive the Sentiero Riale to Passo di San Giacomo?
The Passo di San Giacomo is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,313m (7,589ft) above sea level, situated on the border between Italy (Piedmont) and Switzerland (Ticino). Located in the Lepontine Alps, the Italian side is accessed via a high-altitude track known as Sentiero Riale - Passo S. Giacomo. While the Italian sector is motorable with the correct equipment, the Swiss side is strictly a walking path, making the summit a logistical dead-end for vehicles.
Driving the extreme unpaved road to Passo Feudo
Passo Feudo is a high mountain pass sitting at 2,190 meters above sea level in the Trento province of Northern Italy. Located in the heart of the Latemar massif, the road to the summit is one of the most aggressive and technical climbs in the Dolomites. This is not a standard mountain pass; it is a service road for the ski lifts that defies gravity with vertical ramps. Driving here means tackling a relentless wall of loose gravel where the incline is so steep that even the most powerful 4x4s are pushed to their absolute thermal and mechanical limits.
Cinque Croci Pass
Passo Cinque Croci is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.018m (6,620ft) above the sea level, located in the Eastern Alps, in Trentino, northern Italy.
Monte Cimone
Monte Cimone is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.165m (7,103ft) above the sea level, located in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.
Travel guide to the top of Mont'Arrubiu
Monte Arrubiu (Mont'Arrubiu) is a peak at an elevation of 442m (1,450ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Cagliari in the Italian region Sardinia.
Col de Bousson road: A high-altitude 4WD border crossing in the Cottian Alps
Col de Bousson is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,154m (7,066ft) above sea level, situated directly on the border between France and Italy. This remote crossing in the Cottian Alps offers a technical unpaved driving experience through some of the most pristine landscapes in the Piedmont and Hautes-Alpes regions.
An old military road to Lago d'Arpon
Lago d'Arpon is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 1.830m (6,003ft) above the sea level located on the border of France and Italy.
Croce Arcana Pass
Passo della Croce Arcana is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.669m (5,475ft) above the sea level, located in the Italian province of Pistoia, in the Apennines range.
A classic road trip to Baite di Mezzeno
Baite di Mezzeno is a high mountain hut at an elevation of 1.609m (5,278ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Bergamo, in Italy.
An awe-inspiring road to Lago della Rovina
Lago della Rovina is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 1.540m (5,052ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy.
Skihaus Schöneben: Driving the High Road in South Tyrol
Located in South Tyrol, northern Italy, Skihaus Schöneben sits at an elevation of 2,105m (6,906ft). It is a high-altitude mountain hut near the border where Italy, Switzerland, and Austria meet. The road serves the Schöneben ski resort and offers a steep, technical climb through the mountains above the Reschenpass.
How to drive to Colle della Ciabra in Piedmont?
Colle della Ciabra is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,712m (5,616ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo, in the Italian region of Piedmont.
The steep private road to Monte Ray: An engineering feat in the Gesso Valley
Monte Ray is a high mountain peak reaching an elevation of 1,846m (6,056ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy. Situated near the French border, the road to the summit offers a technical and incredibly steep ascent through the scenic Valle Gesso.
Road trip guide: Conquering Forcella Pecol
Forcella Pecol is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.787m (5,862ft) located in the province of Belluno in the Italian region of Veneto.
Road trip guide: Conquering Dil Pass
Passo del Dil is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.797m (5,895ft) above the sea level, located on the boundary between Trentino-Alto Adige and Lombardy, in Italy.
A scenic paved road to Colle di Joux
Colle di Joux is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.640m (5,380ft) above the sea level, located in the Aosta Valley of northwestern Italy.
Laghi delle Cime Bianche
Laghi delle Cime Bianche is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.885m (9,465ft) above the sea level, located in Breuil-Cervinia, an alpine resort in the Valle d'Aosta region of northwest Italy.
Travel guide to the top of Forcella di Pradazzo
Forcella di Pradazzo is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.225m (7,299ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy.
Roccaraso-Aremogna
Roccaraso-Aremogna is a ski resort at an elevation of 1.663m (5,456ft) above the sea level, located in the Abruzzo region of central Italy.
Col de Pernante: Driving the historic military border between France and Italy
Situated in the heart of the Maritime Alps, Col de Pernante is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,898m (6,227ft) above sea level. Perched directly on the border between France and Italy, this pass is a key point along the strategic ridge that separates the Roya Valley in France from the Vermenagna Valley in Italy, offering a journey through both stunning Alpine scenery and European military history.
Bocchetta di Campiglia
Bocchetta di Campiglia is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.216m (3,989ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy.
Driving to Monte Colmo: A vertical climb above Edolo
Located in the Brescia province of Lombardy, the climb to Monte Colmo is one of the most technical paved challenges in the High Camonica valley. Reaching an elevation of 1,933m (6,341ft) above sea level, the road known as Via Monte Colmo is a relentless sequence of narrow asphalt and dark tunnels. It is a drive where the vertical scale of the Italian Alps is felt in every gear change, demanding constant focus as you rise high above the town of Edolo.
An awe-inspiring road to Rifugio Ciareido
Rifugio Ciareido is a high mountain hut at an elevation of 1.957m (6,420ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Belluno (Cadore) in the Italian region of Veneto.
Driving the Polentin Pass: The border road between Austria and Italy
Located right on the line between Austria and Italy, the Polentin Pass (or Passo Polentin for the Italians) is one of those old military tracks in the Carnic Alps that can ruin your day if you don't check the clock. Reaching an elevation of 1,538m (5,045ft), it links Stranig in Austria with Paularo in Italy. It’s not a highway; it’s a mix of cracked asphalt and rough dirt where the mountain rules and the local rangers don't take excuses.
Borcola Pass
Passo della Borcola is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.207m above the sea level, located on the border of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Veneto, in Italy.