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.

Strada Provinciale 97 di Racollo

Is Strada Provinciale 97 di Racollo the best road in Italy?

Imagine a fully paved mountain road, with twisting turns, open straights, and almost no traffic. Sounds like a dream? In Italy, the Strada Provinciale 97 di Racollo is a hidden gem, a true paradise for both two- and four-wheel drivers.

Monte Grane

Travel guide to the top of Monte Grane in the Cottian Alps

Monte Grané is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2,306 m (7,565 ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo, in Italy.

Cima Mammarosa

Driving the SP64 to Cima Mammarosa: The gateway to the Majella massif

Cima Mammarosa is a mountain location at an elevation of 1,658 meters (5,439 ft) above sea level, located in the Majella National Park in the Abruzzo region of Italy. Traversed by the Strada Provinciale 64 (SP64), the route sits on the boundary between the provinces of Pescara and Chieti, serving as the main access route toward the iconic Blockhaus in the Apennines.

Col de Varda

A brutally steep unpaved road to Col de Varda

Col de Varda is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,115m (6,938ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Belluno, Italy.

Monte Sante Marie

How to drive the steep gravel sector of Monte Sante Marie?

Monte Sante Marie is an unpaved road sector in the Province of Siena, Tuscany, linking Asciano with Castelnuovo Berardenga through the Crete Senesi hills. Famous as the decisive sterrato sector of the Strade Bianche, the 11.5-kilometer route crosses rolling terrain made of white clay and loose gravel.

Military road from Monte Saccarello to Colle del Garezzo

Driving the high-altitude military road from Monte Saccarello to Colle del Garezzo

The high-altitude track running from Monte Saccarello to Colle del Garezzo is one of the most technical and spectacular military routes in the Ligurian Alps, in the Province of Imperia. This 6.8 km (4.2 miles) unpaved ridge road stays almost entirely above 2,000 meters, crossing several high mountain passes including Sella della Valletta, Passo di Garlenda, Punta di Santa Maria, and Passo Frontè. It is a route that tests the limits of any off-road vehicle and the nerves of the driver.

Mount Vesuvius

The Italian Road That Stops Just Short of the Ultimate Danger Zone (Mount Vesuvius, Italy)

Mount Vesuvius is located in the Campania region of Southern Italy, overlooking the Bay of Naples. It lies within the Province of Naples (now the Metropolitan City of Naples) and is the central feature of the Vesuvius National Park.

Rifugio Cesare Branca al Lago delle Rosole

How to get to Cesare Branca Refuge in Lombardy?

Rifugio Cesare Branca al Lago delle Rosole is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2,483m (8,146ft) above sea level, located in the Lombardy region of Italy.

Monte della Guardia, Monte Dubasso, and Colle San Bartolomeo

Monte Dubasso Ridge Road: Driving the Crest Track to Colle San Bartolomeo

The high-mountain ridge road linking Monte della Guardia, Monte Dubasso, and Colle San Bartolomeo di Ormea is a single-lane mountain track located in the Ligurian Alps, running along the border zone between Piedmont and Liguria, in Italy. This 11.4 km (7.1 miles) drive connects two different sections of the SP216 road.

Forcella Luson

Driving the mountain road to Forcella Luson in the Dolomites

Forcella Luson is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.383m (7,818ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Bolzano, in the Trentino-South Tyrol region of Italy.

Testa Bassa

How to drive the steep chairlift track to Testa Bassa?

Testa Bassa is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2,454m (8,051ft) above sea level, located in the Aosta Valley region of the Italian Alps. The route to the summit is a rugged service road primarily used for chairlift maintenance. 

Col de Saurel

Driving the alpine military track to Col de Saurel

Col de Saurel is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,392 meters (7,847 ft) above sea level, located on the border between France and Italy.

Colma di Marucolo

How to drive the steep 4x4 track to Colma di Marucolo?

Colma di Marucolo is a mountain peak at an elevation of 1,857 meters (6,092 ft) above sea level, located in the Prealps within the Province of Brescia, Lombardy, in Italy. Occupied by a telecommunications tower at the summit, the unpaved track is an extension of the road starting from Colle San Zeno.

Rifugio Pizzini

How to drive the steep road to Rifugio Pizzini in Lombardy

Rifugio Pizzini-Frattola is a high mountain hut at an elevation of 2,706m (8,877ft) above sea level, located in the Lombardy region of Italy. It is one of the highest roads in Italy.

Col dei Pass

How to drive the rugged track to Col dei Pass in Belluno

Col dei Pass is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 1,818m (5,964ft) above sea level in the Province of Belluno, Italy.

Rifugio Rinfreddo

How to drive the narrow and steep road to Rifugio Rinfreddo?

Rifugio Rinfreddo is a high-mountain shelter at an elevation of 1,892 meters (6,207ft) above sea level, located in the heart of the Comelico region, in Italy.

Malga Clef

How to drive the steep 18% road to Malga Clef in Trentino

Malga Clef is a mountain dairy at an elevation of 1,720 meters (5,643 ft) above sea level in the Province of Trentino, Italy. The main challenge of this route is managing a 10.7-kilometer narrow road where several ramps hit a maximum gradient of 18%.

Forcella Chiandolada

How to drive the challenging road to Forcella Chiandolada in Belluno?

Forcella Chiandolada is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.582m (5,190ft) above sea level, located in the Province of Belluno in the Italian region Veneto.

Flecknerhütte

Can I drive the unpaved road to Fleckner Hut in the Stubai Alps?

Flecknerhütte (Fleckner Hut) is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2,056m (6,745ft) above sea level located in the South Tyrol province of Italy.

Muro di Campeggio

How to drive the brutal 29% ramps of Muro di Campeggio?

Muro di Campeggio, officially named Via Sumbilla, is one of the steepest paved roads in Italy. The route is a vertical asphalt wall that climbs the hills north of Pergoloso, hitting a maximum gradient of 29%.

Chaz-Dura

How to drive the unpaved road to Chaz-Dura?

Chaz-Dura is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.560m (8,398ft) above sea level, located in the autonomous region of Aosta Valley, in Italy. It's one of the highest roads in the country.