Driving Strada del Vallone di Elva is well worth the time

Strada del Vallone di Elva is a high mountain road located in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont. The road is very steep, with an average gradient of 8.34%.

Strada del Vallone di Elva

The road, part of the Strada Provinciale 104 (SP104), is paved but pretty narrow running alongside the Torrente Elvo. The road runs south-north, starting from Ponte Marmora (SP422 road) at 922m above the sea level. It ends at Serre, a small town at 1.640m. The elevation gain is 718 meters. The average gradient is 8.34%. This narrow and tight mountain road runs along rocks and cliffs. Expect more than 30 tunnels. The drive is very scenic. Do not travel this road in severe weather conditions.

The road, also known as Strada del Vallone del Viandante (Valley of the hiker), is 9.4 km long. It's normal for your palms to sweat looking at those photos, imagine what it must have been like before the barriers. But the tiny steel protection at the edge of the road is not going to stop your vehicle from going over. This road is prone to rock slides. The road tops out at 1.664m (5,459ft) above the sea level.
Pic: Marco Ferrari