What are the most spectacular roads in Italy?

Located in the southern part of Europe, Italy is a dream for drivers as it hosts mountain passes (the Alps), coastal drives (Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Ligurian), and some of the most famous scenic routes in the world. 

It’s nearly impossible to choose only a few roads to drive in the country, as there are about 600 of the most spectacular roads in the world. 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 of 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 for as long as cameras have rolled 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 exactly without danger in a few narrow and steep spots. If you prefer roads with a story, don’t miss 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.

Passo Cereda is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.361m (4,465ft) above the sea level, located in the southern slopes of the Pale di San Martino mountain group, in Italy.

Lago di Cancano is a high mountain artificial lake at an elevation of 1.920m (6,299ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Sondrio, Lombardy, in Italy. The place is a postcard.

Rifugio Barbara Lowrie is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 1.753m (5,751ft) above the sea level, located in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont. 

Colletto Pramand is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.087m (6,847ft) above the sea level, located in the Hautes Alpes, in the southwestern part of the Italian Alps. The road to the pass is called Via dei Saraceni.

Becco Rosso pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.261m (7,417ft) above the sea level, located in the Alps, on the border of France and Italy.

Passo di Oclini is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.995m (6,545ft) above the sea level, located in the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, in Italy.

Passo Rodella is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.866m (6,122ft) above the sea level, located in the heart of the Dolomites in South Tyrol, Italy.

Col Tze Core is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.607m (5,272ft) above the sea level, located in the Aosta Valley, a mountainous semi-autonomous region in northwestern Italy.

Lago Miserin is a remote alpine lake at an elevation of 2.580m (8,464ft) above the sea level, located in the Alps in Aosta Valley, Italy. It's one of the highest roads of Italy.

Kronplatz-Plan de Corones is a spectacular high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.275m (7,464ft) above the sea level, located in the Pusteria valley, in South Tyrol, Italy.

Colle del Ghisallo is a mountain pass at an elevation of 754m (2,473ft) above the sea level, located in Magreglio, close to Lake Como in Italy. Near the summit there’s a sanctuary, called Santuario Del Ghisallo. This tiny church is home to the Patron Saint of Cyclists and includes a small cycling museum.

Rifugio Panarotta is a mountain refuge at an elevation of 1.780m (5,839ft) above the sea level, located in the Sugana Valley, in the autonomous province of Trentino in Northern Italy. The ascent is a popular one with amateur cyclists.

Colle Cologna is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.394m (7,854ft) above the sea level, located in the Cottian Alps, Piedmont, northern Italy.

Cima di Morissolo is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.311m (4,301ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola in the Italian region Piedmont.

Passo Campo Carlo Magno is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.682m (5,518ft) above the sea level, located in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.

Colle di Costa Piana is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.313m (7,588ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Turin, Italy.

Strada Militare del Colle della Vecchia is an old military road built in the 1880's and closed to motor vehicles, winding its way up to 2.000m above the sea level. The road is located in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont.

Monte Toraro is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.890m (6,200ft) above the sea level, located in the Venetian Prealps, a mountain range in the south-eastern part of the Alps in Triveneto, in the north-eastern part of Italy.

Colle Malaberghe is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.225m (7,299ft) above the sea level, located in the Cottian Alps, between France and Italy.

Monte Telegrafo is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.483m (8,146ft) above the sea level, located in the Trentino-South Tyrol region of Italy.

Lago di Malga Bissina is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 1.815m (5,954ft) above the sea level, located in the Val di Daone, in the Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy.

Lago Ponton is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.645m (8,677ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Aosta in the Aosta Valley region of Italy. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Forca d'Acero is a high mountain valley at an elevation of 1.538m (5,045ft) above the sea level, located on the border between Lazio and Abruzzo regions, in Italy.

Portella Femmina Morta is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.535m (5,036ft) above the sea level, located in the Italian region of Sicily.

Passo San Jorio (Passo di San Iório) is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.012m (6,601ft) above the sea level located on the border of Switzerland and Italy.

Rifugio Genova-Figari is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.015m (6,610ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Cuneo, Piedmont, Italy.

Mount Belvedere is a mountain pass at an elevation of 750m (2,460ft) above the sea level, located in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily.

Rifugio La Baita-Val di Rezzalo is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 1.860m (6,102ft) above the sea level, located in the northern Italian province of Sondrio.

The scenic Fornelli-Cala d'Oliva Road is the only paved road on the Italian island of Asinara, at the north-western tip of Sardinia, in the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the best coastal drives in the world.

Mont Fallère is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.377m (7,798ft) above the sea level, located in the Valle d’Aosta region, in northwestern Italy.

Refuge Grand Tournalin is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.535m (8,316ft) above the sea level, located in the Alps in Aosta Valley, Italy. It's one of the highest mountain roads of Italy.

Passo dei Salati is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.988m (9,803ft) above the sea level, located on the border between Piedmont and Val de Aosta, in Italy. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.

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

Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe. Located on the east coast of Sicily, Italy, a sandy road climbs up to 3.120m (10,236ft) above the sea level. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.

Passo di Cadino is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.937m (6,354ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy, Italy.

Passo della Costazza (Baita Segantini) is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.181m (7,155ft) above the sea level, located in Trentino in Italy. The road to the pass starts from the Passo Rolle. 

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