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.

Valnontey

Valnontey is a small mountain town at an elevation of 1.666m above the sea level, located in Aosta Valley, in Italy.

Colle del Prete

Colle del Prete is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.733m (5,685ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont.

Monte Campigoletti

Monte Campigoletti is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.052m (6,732ft) above the sea level, located on the border of Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige, in northern Italy. During the World War I, one of the most fierce battles was fought on its slopes.

Colle Puazzo

Colle Puazzo is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.112m (3,648ft) above the sea level, located in the Italian region Piedmont.

Monte Cimonasso

Monte Cimonasso is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.085m (6,840ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Imperia in the Italian region Liguria.

Translessinia

Translessinia (Strada Provinciale 14) is a very funny dirt-road experience in the Province of Verona in the Italian region Veneto, running entirely over 1.500m above the sea level.

Lago del Diavolo

Lago del Diavolo is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.126m (6,975ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy.

Driving the vertical track to Rifugio Helios: A 2.328m climb in the Cottian Alps

Located in the heart of the Cottian Alps, in the Province of Cuneo, the ascent to Rifugio Helios is a brutal exercise in high-altitude logistics. Reaching an elevation of 2,328m (7,637ft) above sea level, this unpaved track—nominally part of the Strada Provinciale 251—is a relentless climb that rises high above the village of Maddalena. It is a road where the thin Alpine air and the verticality of the terrain demand total mechanical respect and a vehicle prepared for sustained high-torque operations.

La Riposa Refuge: Driving the 1,587m Climb in Piedmont

At an elevation of 2,205m (7,230ft) above sea level, La Riposa Refuge (locally known as Rifugio La Riposa) is a high mountain cabin located in the Metropolitan City of Turin, in the Piedmont region of Italy. Positioned on the slopes of Monte Rochemelon, the road to the refuge is a challenging alpine track used primarily by hikers and mountain rescue services.

How difficult is the unpaved road to Monte Borzalet in the Italian Alps?

Monte Borzalet is a high mountain summit reaching an elevation of 2,277m (7,470ft) above sea level, located in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy. Situated near the Great St Bernard Pass on the border with Switzerland, the road to the summit is a rugged unpaved track that winds through high-altitude pastures and rocky outcrops. This is a technical alpine drive where the steepness of the terrain and the narrowness of the path require a capable 4x4 vehicle and a driver prepared for the unpredictable conditions of the high Alps.

Val Forcola

Val Forcola is a high mountain valley at an elevation of 2.126m (6,975ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Sondrio, Lombardy region of the Alps in northern Italy.

Monte Castelberto

Monte Castelberto is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.765m (5,790ft) above the sea level, located in Trentino, in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.

Monte Lagazuoi

Monte Lagazuoi is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.572m (8,438ft) above the sea level, located in the Veneto region of northern Italy. It’sone of the highest roads of the country.

Lago Volaia

The Lago Volaia (Wolayersee) is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 1.963m (6,440ft) above the sea level, located in the Carnic Alps, on the Swiss-Italian border.

Driving to Colle Pian Fum: A technical climb to the Cappella di San Michele

Located in the heart of the Graian Alps, in the Province of Turin, the climb to Colle Pian Fum is a high-altitude journey that perfectly captures the raw nature of the Piedmont region. Reaching an elevation of 1,999m (6,558ft) above sea level, this narrow route leads to the isolated Cappella di San Michele. It is a drive where the transition from civilization to the high mountains is marked by a dramatic shift in road quality, demanding absolute focus on the pedals and the steering wheel.

Selle Pass

Passo le Selle is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.536m (8,320ft) above the sea level, located in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. High winds blow here all year long. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Forte del Monte Scale

Forte del Monte Scale is a high mountain military fortress at an elevation of 2.213m (7,260ft) above the sea level, located in the municipality of Valdidentro Sondrio, in Lombardy (Italy) and belongs to the Alps.

Alpe Vieille

Alpe Vieille is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.240m (7,349ft) above the sea level, located in the Valle d’Aosta region, in northwestern Italy.

Lago Dietro la Torre

Lago Dietro la Torre is a high mountain artificial lake at an elevation of 2.372m (7,782ft) above the sea level, located in the Italian region Piedmont.

Bassa di Colombart

Bassa di Colombart is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.466m (8,090ft)above the sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont.

Punta del Cavallo Pass

Punta del Cavallo is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.290m (7,513ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont.

Driving the SP18 to Ranzo, the road carved into the rock

Located in the Autonomous Province of Trento, in Italy, Strada Provinciale 18 is a road dug into the rock and, at times, overhanging.

Lavaredo Refuge

Rifugio Lavaredo is a high mountain hut at an elevation of 2.353m (7,719ft) above the sea level, located in the Sexten Dolomites of northeastern Italy, rising on the border between the northernmost section of the province of Belluno and Alta Pustera, in South Tyrol.

Monte Cuccio

Monte Cuccio is a mountain peak at an elevation of 1.041m (3,415ft) above the sea level, located in the Italian island of Sicily. The climb is brutal: narrow and steep.

Plan Maison

Plan Maison is a ski resort at an elevation of 2.552m (8,372ft) above the sea level, located in the Aosta Valley region of north-western Italy.

A road with countless tunnels on Ponti di Vara to transport marble to the quarry

Originally built as a railway tunnel, the historic Vara Bridge was constructed in 1876 for marble transportation to the quarries of Carrara, Italy. Today, the bridge is used by trucks and vehicles. It’s one of the most spectacular bridges in the world.

Punta Chaligne

Punta Chaligne is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.311m (7,582ft) above the sea level, located in the Valle d’Aosta region, in northwestern Italy.

Colle di Sant'Anna di Vinadio

Colle di Sant'Anna di Vinadio is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.301m (7,549ft) above the sea level, located in the Maritime Alps, on the French-Italian border.

Monte Zoufplan: Driving the narrow 1,343m climb in Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Located in the Province of Udine, within the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy, Monte Zoufplan is a mountain peak at an elevation of 1,968m (6,456ft) above sea level. Situated in the Central Carnic Alps, the road to the summit is a technical route used to access weather and seismic monitoring infrastructure.

Driving the steep road to Rifugio Nino Corsi in South Tyrol

Rifugio Nino Corsi (also known as Zufallhütte) is a high-altitude mountain refuge at an elevation of 2,245m (7,365ft) above sea level, located in the Val Martello of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Italy. Situated within the heart of the Stelvio National Park, the access road is a technical alpine climb characterized by tight hairpins and significant vertical gain.