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.
How to drive the unpaved road to Alpe Gran Mioul?
Alpe Gran Mioul is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.085m (6,840ft) above sea level, located in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in Italy.
Scarfiotti Refuge: A High-Alpine Journey in the Susa Valley
Rifugio Scarfiotti (also known as Scarfiotti-Crosetto) is a historic mountain refuge situated at an elevation of 2,163m (7,096ft) above sea level. Located in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, the refuge serves as a vital base for explorers venturing into the high peaks of the Cottian Alps near the French border.
Driving the wild road to Col de Joux
Col de Joux, also known as Col du Mont-Joux, is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.930m (6,332ft) above the sea level, located in the Aosta Valley in northwestern Italy.
Colle Barant
Colle Barant is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.381m (7,811ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont.
How to drive the scary road to Col Visentin in Treviso?
Col Visentin is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.764m (5,787ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Treviso, in Italy. The road to the summit is, probably, the scariest drive in the province.
Monte Penegal
Monte Penegal is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.737m (5,698ft) above the sea level, located in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.
How to drive the paved road to Pozza di Cola Pass?
Passo Pozza di Cola is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.289m (4,229ft) above sea level, located in the Autonomous Province of Trento in Italy.
How to drive the steep road to Colle San Zeno?
Colle San Zeno (also known as Colma di San Zeno) is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1,434 meters (4,704 ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Brescia, Lombardy, Italy. The paved road connects Pisogne on Lake Iseo with Pezzaze in Val Trompia through the Prealps.
Ferraro Refuge
Rifugio Ferraro is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.066m (6,778ft) above the sea level, located in the Alps in Aosta Valley, Italy.
Monte Pizzoc
Monte Pizzoc is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,565m (5,135ft) above the sea level, located in Veneto, Italy.
How to drive the paved road to Lago di Neves in South Tyrol?
Lago di Neves is a high mountain turquoise-green reservoir at an elevation of 1.866m (6,122ft) above sea level, located in the province of South Tyrol, in Italy.
Marinelli Refuge
Rifugio Marinelli (aka Forcella Morareto) is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.169m (7,116ft) above the sea level, located in the Carnic Alps, in the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.
Monte Novegno
Monte Novegno is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.672m (5,485ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy.
Salvatore Citelli Refuge
Rifugio Salvatore Citelli is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 1.742m (5,715ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Catania in the Italian region Sicily.
Driving the service road to Lago Rotondo: A brutal climb in the Bergamo Alps
The road to Lago Rotondo (leading toward Rifugio Fratelli Calvi) is an unpaved mountain track reaching an elevation of 2,007 meters (6,584 ft) above sea level, located in the Bergamo Alps, Lombardy, Italy. Starting from the village of Carona in the upper Brembana Valley, the route serves as the service access to the Fregabolgia dam.
Monte Camoscio
Monte Camoscio is a mountain peak at an elevation of 890m (2,918ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, part of Piedmont, northern Italy.
How to drive the military road to Forte Foens in the Italian Alps?
Forte Foens is a high-altitude military fortress reaching an elevation of 2,186m (7,171ft) above sea level in the Province of Turin, within the Piedmont region of Italy. Built between 1897 and 1899, this battery was part of a strategic defensive line along the southern slopes of the Jafferau massif. Today, the road to the fort is a demanding unpaved track that connects with the legendary Monte Jafferau and the Colletto Pramand, offering one of the most technical and historical driving experiences in the Graian Alps.
Lago di Tovel
Lago di Tovel is a mountain lake at an elevation of 1.178m (3,864ft) above the sea level, located in Trentino, Italy.
Col Vidal
Col Vidal is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.876m (6,154ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Belluno in the Italian region of Veneto.
Colle Bettaforca
Colle Bettaforca is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.728m (8,950ft) above the sea level, located in Valle d’Aosta region, in northwestern Italy.
Monte Tomba
Monte Tomba is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.799m (5,902ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto.
Monte della Neve
Monte della Neve is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.779m (9,117ft) located in the Province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy, near the Swiss border.
Passo Pertica: Driving the 16 hairpins from Giazza to the High Lessinia
Passo Pertica is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,522 meters (4,993 ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Verona in northern Italy. The road to the summit, starting from Giazza, is a technical 9.7-kilometer climb that scales the steep limestone cliffs of the Lessinia Regional Nature Park. The physical reality of this route involves managing a sudden transition from asphalt to a raw gravel surface at the Rifugio Revolto, where the final 2.9 kilometers require a high-clearance vehicle to navigate 16 sharp hairpin turns with a punishing 8.43% average gradient.
Rifugio Monte Curcio: Driving the steep service road in the heart of Sila National Park
Rifugio Monte Curcio is a high-altitude mountain refuge situated at 1,769m (5,803ft) above sea level in the Calabria region of Southern Italy. Located within the scenic Sila National Park, the track leading to the summit is a rugged ski-station service road known for its demanding gradient and unpaved surface.
How to drive the steep chairlift track to Platta de Grevon?
Platta de Grevon (also referred to as Piatta de Grevon in some Italian topographic maps) is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2,715m (8,907ft) above sea level, located in the Valle d’Aosta region of northwestern Italy. Technically, it is one of the highest driveable points in the region, situated within the logistical perimeter of the Pila ski resort. The access route is a service road for chairlift maintenance that ranks among the highest roads in Italy.
Colle della Vaccera
Colle della Vaccera is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.461m (4,793ft) above the sea level, located in northwestern Italy.
Monte Zovetto
Monte Zovetto is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.197m (3,927ft) above the sea level, located in Cesuna di Roana, in Vicenza province, Italy.
Driving the breathtaking road to Bellecombe is not a piece of cake
Bellecombe is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2,602m (8,536ft) above sea level, located in the Alps on the French-Italian border. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.
Dal Piaz Refuge
Rifugio Dal Piaz is a high mountain shelter at an elevation of 1.993m (6,538ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Belluno in Veneto, northern Italy.
Pizzo Groppera
Pizzo Groppera is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.242m (7,355ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Sondrio in the Italian region Lombardy.
How to drive the steep road to Mont Fraitève in Piedmont?
Mont Fraitève is a mountain peak at an elevation of 2,687 meters (8,815 ft) above sea level, located in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, near the French border. The track leading to the summit is an unpaved service road used for the maintenance of the Sestriere ski resort infrastructure and the radio communication towers at the crest.
Driving to Forte Pozzacchio: The hidden rock fortress of Valmorbia
Located in the heart of the Leno Valleys in Trentino, the route to Forte Pozzacchio (also known as Werk Valmorbia) is a journey into the last frontier of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Reaching an elevation of 882m (2,893ft) above sea level, this fortress is a masterpiece of military engineering, entirely excavated into the living rock. Reaching it requires navigating the winding roads of the Vallarsa and transitioning from a modern provincial highway to an ancient military track where the history of the Great War is etched into every stone.
How to drive the steep paved road to Solda?
Solda is a high mountain town at an elevation of 1.907m (6,256ft) above sea level, located in the province of South Tyrol, in Italy.
Road SP35
Strada Provinciale 35 is a very challenging road in the Calabria region of southern Italy. The road is very steep with several hairpin turns, offering stunning views of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
How to drive the unpaved track to Passo di Val Viola?
Passo di Val Viola is an alpine mountain pass at an elevation of 2,432 meters (7,979 ft) above sea level, located on the border between Italy and Switzerland. The southern approach from the Italian side starts at Arnoga, following an unpaved track through the Valdidentro valley in the province of Sondrio, Lombardy.
Monte Soro: The Ultimate Road Trip Guide
Monte Soro is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1.848m (6,062ft) above the sea level located in the Italian region Sicily. It’s a great route for its twisty roads, beautiful colors and views.