The most beautiful and picturesque roads in the world. The Most Beautiful Roads in the World - Best Driving Routes Place: Chugushi Romantic Highway, Japan

Independent car and motorcycle trips are becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation. We have selected for you the ten most interesting roads on four continents that can be a good reason to travel.

1. On the edge of the abyss. France: Verdon Gorge

Grand Canyon, but not in the USA? Rocky gorge, but not in the desert? No matter how the Verdon Gorge is called, the fact remains that today it is the largest canyon in all of Europe: its length is 25 kilometers, and the depth reaches 700 meters! Although the scale of the Verdon Gorge is inferior to the Arizona canyon, it clearly surpasses it in beauty: in spring and summer, trees and shrubs cover the slopes with a thick layer, passing only in front of the most sheer cliffs. It will take a whole day to go around the gorge in a circle, although there are only a hundred kilometers. But they all consist entirely of bends, descents and ascents, man-made tunnels and driveways under rocks hanging overhead and hiding the sky. Most beautiful views on the gorge open from the old Cretan road, or the Cretan loop (Route des Cretes, D23), built in ancient times and passing along the northern edge of the canyon. This narrow winding path in places comes to the very cliff. Along the edges of it are equipped viewing platforms, each of which offers breathtaking views of the Verdon. The Cretan loop is considered one-way: you need to drive a car along it clockwise, starting from the town of Castellane towards the artificial lake Sainte-Croix, which was formed after the construction of a dam in 1975. You can swim in the lake and spend a few contemplative hours in the shade of trees with wine and a crispy French baguette. The Luberon Nature Reserve is located 100 kilometers from Verdon Park. It is worth stopping by to admire the leisurely village life and visit the ruins of one of the castles of the famous Marquis de Sade.

2. High in the mountains. Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan: Pamir Highway

Travelers are always attracted by places marked "best": the most north point Europe, the westernmost point of Russia, the highest mountain, the deepest depression. The Pamir Highway is one of those places. After all, the highest mountain road in the territory of the former USSR. This almost completely dirt road climbs the spurs of the Pamir Mountains and passes through the three main mountain passes of the Pamirs: Taldyk (3615 m), Kyzyl-Art (4280 m) and the point closest to the "Roof of the World" - the Akbaital Pass (4655 m). The eastern part of the route - from the Kyrgyz city of Osh to the Tajik Khorog - was built in 1931-1934, when the USSR was actively developing the territory of the mountainous Pamirs. It passes through the green foothills, where horses graze and lonely yurts and dung-smeared huts stand, and also past the Pamir national park, above which Lenin Peak rises (7134 m).

AWL Images/Fotodom The Pamir Highway is open for travel only in warm weather - in winter there is a high risk of avalanches.

One of the most exciting stops along the way is Karakul Lake, the largest in Tajikistan, located at an altitude of 3914 meters above sea level. From here begins a steep ascent to the spurs of the great Pamir. Rocks, gorges, tunnels, primer, dust, lack of vegetation, rare villages and flocks of sheep - such an almost Martian landscape stretches to the very descent into the valley already on the Tajik side. Your fellow travelers all this time will be trucks, donkeys and jeeps, crammed inside and hung with luggage outside. Turning off the highway, you can visit several more interesting places: the villages of local residents, the Farewell to Youth pass, the Yamchun fortress of fire worshipers, Bibi-Fatima hot springs and much more.

3. From north to south. USA: Dalton Highway

The Dalton Highway is 666 kilometers of dirt road that crosses Alaska almost in the middle from north to south. The route was built in 1974 to deliver cargo to the oil fields of Pradhoe Bay and service the Trans-Alaskan oil pipeline. And the name was given in honor of the engineer James Dalton, a specialist in Arctic construction. On a motorcycle or some overly gluttonous car, one must be careful to meddle here: on the entire highway between Fairbanks, 100 kilometers from which it begins, and Deadhorse, where it ends, there are only two gas stations: at the Yukon River crossing and in Coldfoot (400 km from Fairbanks), so it is better to take the necessary supply of gasoline, as well as tires, tools, food and other essentials with you right away. Medical assistance is also available only in Coldfoot or Deadhorse. This is Alaska, gentlemen! A harsh and at first glance unfriendly land, which will give unforgettable impressions and discover its riches only to a prepared and responsible traveler. Alaska really has something to share: the largest US state is still almost not spoiled by civilization; 23 (!) National parks and reserves are located on its territory. Through some of them: the White Mountains, the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge, the reserves on the banks of the Yukon River, the Gates of the Arctic Wildlife Sanctuary - the Dalton Highway passes right through, either getting lost in a flat snow-covered or grassy plain, or winding between the surrounding wooded mountains on all sides. Another obligatory ritual of all travelers passing along the highway is to take a picture against the background of the sign indicating the Arctic Circle.

4. To the homeland of Dracula. Romania: Transfagaras Highway

In 1970, Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu thought of building a high-altitude highway through the Fagaras massif to create an attractive tourist route. Worried about the events in Czechoslovakia, he feared a military invasion of the country and therefore decided to connect the regions of Wallachia and Transylvania with a hard-to-reach mountain road for the speedy transfer of military equipment. Now Transfagaras is one of the rare examples of how an object created for military purposes becomes famous all over the world and attracts many tourists to the country. The 261-kilometer highway passes through picturesque valleys and fields with eared wheat, which Romanians sometimes still harvest by hand, past lakes and reservoirs, through cute Romanian villages with identical dark stone houses. Not far from the beginning of the highway is the pretty town of Sibiu with classical Romanian architecture, where, as in the Romanian language, Latin, Romance and Slavic heritage are mixed. In almost every village on the way there is an Orthodox church, a church, and a mosque. And in the town of Curtea de Arges, you can admire the cathedral with stunning carvings and stucco on the walls. On the Transylvanian side of the Carpathians, Count Dracula awaits travelers. It is found everywhere: in the names of streets, restaurants and hotels, in souvenir shops, in ancient castles. One of them is Poienari Castle, towering over the canyon of the Argesh River, in the 15th century it belonged to Prince Vlad II Tepes, who became the prototype of the famous Dracula. The other is Bran Castle a little off the Transfagaras Highway, where Count Dracula has never been, but where he was “settled” by the writer Bram Stoker, thanks to whom the world learned about Dracula.

5. Expanses of Altai. Russia: Chuisky tract

This old road is the first thread that connected Russia and China many centuries ago. Driving along the Chuisky tract is like crossing the whole of Russia. The path begins in Biysk, from birch groves and villages, in one of which the writer Vasily Shukshin was born. And after a hundred kilometers, it is worth passing Gorno-Altaisk, it seems as if you find yourself in the time of the development of Siberia: the stormy waters of the Katun, rocky gorges and green valleys. The mountain taiga begins. If you turn left, you will get to Lake Teletskoye, and to the right, you will reach the foot of Belukha, where Roerich was looking for Shambhala on the way to the Himalayas. And if you drive straight all the time, you will see the Kurai steppe at the foot of the North-Chuysky ridge. If you wish, you can drive a few kilometers and climb on foot to the eternal snows. In the Kurai steppe, there are the last islands of the taiga, and already beyond the pass, the real steppe begins, where nomads' yurts stand and camel caravans roam. Such a trip should not be planned for a week, because each turn is an occasion for a separate small trip. Mentions of the current Chuisky tract, formerly called Mungalsky, can be found in Chinese sources of a thousand years ago. From then until the beginning of the 20th century, it was just a mountain path used by merchants and pilgrims going to the sacred tree in the upper reaches of the Katun River. The wheel road from Ongudai to Kosh-Agach (255 km) was equipped only by 1903. Today, the Chuisky tract is one of the few roads in the world that has been awarded its own museum. It is located in the building of the Biysk Museum of Local Lore - here you can see archival documents and photographs, a three-dimensional layout of the road, paintings and dioramas.

6. Visit the trolls. Norway: Atlantic Road

The Atlantic road (No 64) goes almost along the ocean itself, jumping from island to island with the help of bridges and tunnels. This is a unique technological facility: the route is only 8.5 kilometers long - as many as six bridges! The main one is the Storseisundet Bridge, which is also called the “Bridge to Heaven”. If you approach it from the side of the mainland, it seems as if the roadbed breaks off at highest point and the traveler can only jump straight into the sky. The impression is enhanced if you drive along the Atlantic Road in the fall, when the storm season begins: huge waves roll on small islands, crash with a crash on the bridge supports, and sometimes cover the entire road, trying to lick the cars driving along it. However, the Atlantic Road is only part of the route through the fjords. Moving along it further towards Oslo, you will come to one of the most famous serpentines in Europe - the Troll Stairs (Trollstigen) climbing the slope of the mountain. Harmful trolls often hang their stairs with thick fog, but this makes the serpentine even more beautiful: gray stones and bizarre rocks, densely overgrown with juicy bright green grass and moss, appear through the "milk". At the top of the mountain, visibility sometimes drops to 3-5 meters: the more curious it is to look at sheep suddenly appearing from the fog, black lakes and numerous stone pyramids built by tourists, or maybe by the trolls themselves ... If you drive even further along highway 63 ( and there is almost nowhere to get away from it), you will get to one of the most beautiful fjords in Norway - Geiranger. Here you can admire the numerous waterfalls, fish or just wander around.

7. Stand above the clouds. China: Big Gate Road

The Chinese are famous not only for their diligence and perseverance (which is worth the Great Wall of China alone!), but also for their love of symbols, signs and numbers. Therefore, even a person who is far from Asian culture will not be able to just drive along the Big Gate Road. The fact is that this road is one of the steepest serpentines in the world in every sense. She climbs Mount Tianmen, which is located 8 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie in southeast China. This 11 km long asphalt belt climbs up to 1300 meters, making 99 turns along the way! For the Chinese, the number 9 is sacred: it is the number of the emperor, as well as the number of palaces that, according to legend, are waiting for a person in heaven. That is why the road to Tianmen is also called the “Road to Heaven”.

Age/East News In China, traditional boats are still a popular means of transportation.

The main attraction of the route is the cave "Heaven's Gate". It was formed in the III century, when a huge block broke off from the rock. The 131.5 meter high "gate" is often completely shrouded in fog. Locals believe that passing through them, you can really go to heaven. But to earn this right, you have to work hard. There are several ways to get to the cave. The easiest way is to drive a car or tourist bus, the more extreme one is to make an “express climb” in a sports car with a professional racing driver behind the wheel, and the most difficult one is to climb an impressive staircase with 999 steps. If you want a truly breathtaking experience, you should climb to the top on the longest funicular in the world (7455 meters!) - from its windows you can see the entire winding line of the road.

8. Through the pampas. Argentina: Route 40

Route No 40 (Ruta 40) crosses almost all of Argentina from north to south and goes along the high Andean ridges. This is one of the longest roads in the world: 5,000 kilometers is no joke! Especially if they pass through several climatic zones. The landscape around is constantly changing: forests, rocks, lakes, fields, meadows, deserts, almost uninhabited pampas, asphalt and gravel, dust and red sand, sun and knocking wind, 27 mountain passes, 18 major rivers, finally, 20 national parks, in each of which you can spend several days. For example, in Los Glaciares Park, listed by UNESCO as a World natural heritage, you can visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, where the third largest fresh water reserve in the world is located. Its area is quite comparable to the area of ​​the whole of Buenos Aires, while the glacier is in constant motion, changing its location by an average of 2 meters every day. You can admire it both from viewing platforms and by going for a walk right on the crumbled ice, accompanied by a climber. The same road leads to the famous "Cave of the Hands" (Cueva de las Manos), where all the walls are covered with human handprints and images of hunting scenes, the oldest of which date back to the ninth millennium BC. Special attention deserves the second largest national park Argentina - "Valley of Calchaqi" (Calchaqi Walley), where you can get from the mountain deserts into the subtropical forest in one day - the climate changes so dramatically in one relatively small piece of land. And, of course, it is worth driving along Ruta 40 to be impressed by the "Martian" landscapes of the deserts and look at the flamingos living on the lakes of Patagonia.

9. Colorado Plateau. USA: Great Circle

The American Wild West is the territory west of the Rocky Mountains. When the pioneers first began to develop Indian territories, they stumbled upon unique natural attractions that they could not appreciate. Today this area is called the "Great Circle" (Grand Circle). The name came from the bus tour, which was called the Grand Circle Tour. The most convenient way to go from Denver is to first climb to the Rocky Mountains National Park, where the Colorado River originates, and follow further through Aspen to the Colorado Plateau. On the way, it is worth seeing the Arches Park (arches.national-park.com) and the famous Monument Valley in the territory of the Navajo Indians. Near the town of Page, you can not miss the inconspicuous Antelope Canyon - on the side of the road there will be a simple wooden billboard with the appropriate inscription. Here it is worth going for a boat trip on Lake Powell, since you can rent a boat. Just south of Page begins the famous Grand Canyon (grandcanyon.com). If you drive along its southern part, then in addition to views of the canyon, you will be able to catch a preserved piece of the first trans-American Route 66 (illinoisroute66.org) from Chicago to Los Angeles. Here it is worth turning again towards the Grand Canyon, living on a real ranch (grandcanyonranch.com). And only then go to the Hoover Dam - a giant monument of the era of the 30s of the last century, from where the direct path to Las Vegas begins. So you will cross the Great Circle from east to west, visiting four states - Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. You can’t see all the beauty of Grand Circle in one trip - after all, the Colorado Plateau has the largest concentration of parks in the United States - so be prepared to return here again.

10. Along the edge of the continent. Australia: Great Ocean Road

The Great Ocean Road, 243 kilometers long, runs along the Pacific coast of Australia. The road has no practical significance - it was built by soldiers who returned from the First World War as a monument to the victims of the battles. After opening in 1932, the road became the largest military memorial in the world, and thirty years later it was recognized as one of the most picturesque on the planet. And for good reason: the track runs almost along the coast itself, from where you can see the endless expanses of water and quiet secluded lagoons. Among the main attractions along the way is the mysterious Shipwreck Coast, which has wrecked 638 ships. And the "Twelve Apostles" - a group of limestone rocks standing separately in the ocean up to 45 meters high. In fact, there are only eight rocks here, and until recently they were called only “Pig and Pigs”. The poetic name "The Twelve Apostles" appeared simply to attract tourists. A similar story has another rock about 20 million years old - "London Arch". For a long time it was called "London Bridge" for its amazing resemblance to the Tower Bridge, and in 1990, when the span closest to the mainland collapsed under the pressure of ocean waves, it turned into an "arch". This is the uniqueness of the Great Ocean Road: the coastline is changing so quickly that tomorrow you can no longer see what was today. It is worth driving here not only to admire the scenery, lie on the beach or conquer the wave. It is also an Australian "safari" route: in Warrnambool you can watch the migration of southern whales, and in the Tower Hill Game Reserve, walk with kangaroos and emus and look at koalas and seabirds.

Every year the number of vehicles in the world increases, so traveling along the dense network of roads that entangles our entire planet is becoming more and more popular. All these paths look completely different, so it is difficult, if not impossible, to choose from them the most beautiful roads in the world. It also offers several options on different continents, a trip through which can leave an unforgettable experience.

1. Old Cretan Road, France

The Verdon Gorge is the largest canyon in Europe, it stretches for 25 kilometers, sometimes deepening up to 700 meters. In the warm season, its slopes are densely green from the crowns of trees and shrubs, only in some places you can see the stone of sheer rocky ledges. Particularly beautiful panoramas of the gorge are visible from the old Cretan road, otherwise called the Cretan loop. It was laid in the ancient period along the northern slope of the gorge. The road itself is much longer - about 100 kilometers, but its most beautiful section is connected with the canyon.
Often this narrow winding road passes dangerously close to a cliff. It has specially equipped viewing platforms, which offer especially impressive views of the Verdon. The Cretan Loop is a closed one-way road that travels clockwise. You can depart from the city of Castellane, heading towards the Sainte-Croix reservoir.

2. Pamir Highway, Tajikistan/Kyrgyzstan

The amazingly beautiful Pamir Highway stretches for 720 kilometers, connecting the Tajik capital of Dushanbe with the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan. This old road dates back to the time of the Russian Empire, when it waged a bitter rivalry with the British Empire for control of Central Asia. Then this tract was of strategic importance.
It was the highest road in the empire, since it was laid through a series of high-altitude Pamir passes - Kyzyl-Art, Taldyk, Akbaital, whose heights are in the range of 3615-4280 meters. And today, the path along such a difficult track is very difficult, so only an experienced driver and a reliable car should meddle here, only then you can enjoy the route, and not a death certificate. By the way, for most of the tract there is no asphalt pavement on it.
For those who dare to make such a journey, the majestic Pamir will show its magnificent snow-capped peaks, numerous tunnels, sheer cliffs and bottomless abysses.

In this article, we continue to acquaint you with the amazing and abandoned places of our planet. With the first eleven "ghost places" abandoned...

3. Dalton Highway, USA

This road crosses Alaska from south to north, dividing it in half. It is a very remote route - along its entire length there are only a few settlements, in which about 100 people live in total. The construction of this road in 1974 was designed by engineer Dalton, it was needed to connect with the Pradho area, where they began to produce oil. When preparing to travel along this road, you need to stock up on enough fuel, since there are only two gas stations along the entire route. There will be no one here to provide medical assistance or repair a car or motorcycle. But if the traveler is experienced and well prepared, then he will be able to get a generous portion of emotions from this harsh land.

4. Transfagaras Highway, Romania

This road passes through the territory of Transylvania and the region of Wallachia. This mountain road, which crosses the Fagaras massif, began to be built in 1970. The all-powerful President of Romania, N. Ceausescu, then decided to unite Transylvania and Wallachia with the help of this project. The recent political collisions in 1968 in Czechoslovakia with the threat of a military invasion also contributed to the construction, without which this picturesque mountain road would hardly have appeared. Therefore, Transfagaras was built as an important military road, but now it attracts tourists.
The length of the road is just over 260 kilometers, it winds through picturesque fields and valleys, where farmers still reap the golden ears of wheat by hand. Then she runs past deep reservoirs and pristine lakes, ancient villages with rows of gray stone houses lining the road as if to welcome travelers. At the beginning of the route there is an architecturally interesting town of Sibiu, where features of Roman, Romanesque and Slavic styles are visible.

The world is full of wonderful places. Any country, any corner of the Earth can boast of various creations of nature: somewhere they are waterfalls, somewhere they are beautiful ...

5. Atlantic Road, Norway

The peculiarity of the Atlantic Road, laid in the Møre og Romsdal region, is that it jumps from island to island, hovering over the depths of the fiords and periodically turns into tunnels, then into bridges. The length of this miracle of technical thought is quite small - 8.5 kilometers, but they had enough space for 6 bridges. Particularly impressive is the crossing, called the “bridge to heaven”: approaching it from the side of the mainland, it seems that at the top of the ascent, the path breaks off, and the traveler will rush in flight straight into the sky. Autumn trips leave quite different, but no less sharp impressions, when storms rage below.

6. Great Gate Road, China

The Chinese are not only diligent and diligent hard workers, but also have a weakness for numerology and symbolism since ancient times. Considered the world's steepest serpentine road, the Grand Gate Road in Hunan Province is also about numbers: with a modest length of only 11 kilometers, it makes 99 turns, climbing to a height of 1,300 meters. For the Chinese, the number 9 is sacred, it was the sign of the emperor, and according to popular beliefs, 9 palaces awaited each deceased in the afterlife. For this reason, the road was given such a sonorous name - "the road to heaven."
Particularly noteworthy is the “Heavenly Gates” cave, which was once formed after a huge piece broke off from the rock. The height of the arches of the cave exceeds 130 meters, they are simply not visible in a cloud of fog. There is a legend that a traveler who has passed through the gate will end up in heaven, but at first he will have a difficult path to the top.

7. Route 40, Argentina

Highway number 40 crosses almost all of Argentina from north to south, along the eastern slopes of the Andes. Its length exceeds 5,000 kilometers, so on its way it passes several climatic zones. Driving along it, you can see different things: mountains, lakes, fields, forests, deserts, meadows, arid pampas, sand, dust and gravel. The strongest winds blow here, knocking you down, and the scorching South American sun shines serenely from above.
The road crosses 18 major rivers, 27 mountain passes, two dozen national parks - excellent places for parking. For example, in Los Glaciares Park there is a large Perito Moreno glacier, in which huge reserves of fresh water are concentrated. Its area is roughly comparable to the size of Buenos Aires, and it crawls at a speed of 2 meters per day. There are even viewing platforms for observing the glacier. Other interesting place is the "Cave of Hands", in which primitive people painted the walls with hunting scenes, and modern people left handprints everywhere.

Our home planet is filled with amazing beautiful places. Of course, they are all scattered in different corners of it, and that is why we have collected the TOP 10 with...

8. Great Circle of the Colorado Plateau, USA

To the west of the Rocky Mountains begins the territory of the American Wild West. The pioneers who began to colonize the territories of the Indians discovered unique natural objects, but then they were not up to them. Nowadays, a bus route has been organized here, which they called the “Great Circle Tour”.
It is most convenient to start the journey from Denver, from which at first there is an ascent to the Rocky Mountains National Park, where the source of the Colorado River is located, and then, after passing the resort town of Aspen, the path goes to the Colorado Plateau. During the trip, you can admire the famous Monument Valley, located on the lands of the Navajo, and Arches Park. Near the town of Page, on the side of the road, there is an inconspicuous sign indicating the direction of Antelope Canyon, which is worthy of attention. South of Page begins the Grand Canyon. If you drive along its south side, then along with the panorama of the canyon, a preserved section of the old Route 66, which crossed the entire USA from Los Angeles to Chicago, will flicker.
Not far from the Grand Canyon, you can settle in a real ranch for the night. The next day you can drive over the Hoover Dam - a technological landmark of the 30s of the last century, and from there the road to Las Vegas begins. Driving around the Great Circle clockwise, you can alternately visit the states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.

9. Great Ocean Road, Australia

Along the Australian coast of the Pacific Ocean in the state of Victoria, the Great Ocean Road stretches for 243 kilometers. It was built by soldiers returning from the battlefields of World War I, who so honored the memory of their dead comrades. This largest and most original memorial was opened in 1932, and 30 years later it was recognized as one of the most beautiful roads on the planet.
The road runs almost along the coast, so from it you can admire the surf and bright reflections of light reflected by the waters of the bays. There are many sights along the way, for example, the “shipwreck coast”, where the skeletons of 638 ships of various types lie. The solitary limestone rocks rising 45 meters above the water, which were called “Pig and Pigs”, but then renamed into more decent and boring “12 Apostles” (despite the fact that there are only 8 of them), look interesting. There is a similar story at London Arch, which for a long time was called "London Bridge" because it resembled the silhouette of Tower Bridge. However, in 1990, the waves washed away the span adjacent to the mainland, and instead of a bridge, an arch was obtained. In general, rapid and unexpected changes are the “chip” of the Great Ocean Road, since the coastline, like a living organism, is constantly changing.

Such natural reservoirs as lakes are often extraordinarily picturesque - opposite shores are magnificently reflected in calm stagnant water...

10. Chuisky tract, Russia

The Chuysky tract stretches from Novosibirsk to the Mongolian border and is an element of the large Asian route AN4, which ends in the Pakistani city of Karachi. The length of the tract itself is 953 kilometers, which can be divided into flat, elevated and mountainous sections.
In the first two sections, the Chuisky tract is not particularly diverse, but, having climbed high into the mountains, it is able to cause genuine delight in the traveler. When driving from Novosibirsk, the beauty of the road gradually increases. After the Novosibirsk region begins Altai region, here, still along the plain, it passes Biysk and then goes deep into Altai. Before entering the Republic of Altai, the first important sight comes across - the village of Srostki, in which the wonderful actor and writer Vasily Shukshin was born. After a hundred kilometers, the most attractive mountainous section of the route begins, when the rapid Katun River with magnificent rapids becomes a neighboring road on the right. From here, mountain peaks with dense vegetation and sheer cliffs become visible.

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There is no better way to get to know a country than to personally ride on its roads. Freedom of movement and independence depends only on us, because we have built the route ourselves! Traveling opens up a country with all its pluses and minuses, and this is also a very valuable experience.

We are used to traveling by car in Russia because we have our own car. When are you going abroad? There is nothing complicated. You just need to rent a car from one of the major car rental companies, choosing the option that suits you. We have done this in the USA, in Thailand and in many other countries. And we have rented a motorbike more than once - in Cambodia. Myanmar, Laos and even.

Related articles:

To rent a car, you should know in advance how many days you are going on a trip. So, you need to make a travel itinerary. It is about such routes along the most beautiful roads in the world that I will tell.

I'll start with the most beautiful roads personally tested, which we have already driven ourselves. And then I’ll tell you about those that we hope to conquer in the next trips. And, of course, I will simply list the most interesting roads in the world, which are considered very beautiful according to many travelers.

1. Grand Circle in the southwestern United States

One of the most memorable trips in the United States is a trip to the Wild West and the national parks of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and California. Here you can see the most unimaginable geological wonders: stone bridges and huge monuments standing in the middle of the desert, wide, fabulous, unforgettable hikes among hoodoos and the lowest and driest place in the States - the Badwater salt marsh in Death Valley.

Utah National Parks + Grand Canyon

• Route 1: from Los Angeles (or from Las Vegas) through the national parks and natural attractions of the USA (3500 km / 2 weeks):
  • Monument Valley

• Route 2: from Las Vegas through the national parks of Utah - The Mighty 5 (1700 km / 5 days)
  • Zion
  • Bryce Canyon
  • Canyolands

Useful advice: if you include some such as and in your travel itinerary, then your tour of the USA will be even more grandiose.

Read more:

Zion Park - part of the Grand Circle

2. From Los Angeles to San Francisco on Highway 1 along the Pacific Ocean (Pacific Coast Highway)

The most beautiful road in California along the Pacific coast, Route 1, Pacific Highway, Pacific Coast Highway - all this is about the dream of any romantic. Ride with the breeze along the ocean, passing by the legendary beaches and small Californian towns. Would you dare? We are yes!

• Route: — — — — — — —
• Mileage: 1055 km
• When to go: in spring (to catch wild flowers blooming), in summer or early autumn.
• Trip duration: 3 days
• Attractions: , Bixby Bridge and another beautiful road - on the Pacific coast in Monterey.

More about the route:

On the beaches of Malibu on the Pacific Coast Highway

3. Driving around Oahu, Hawaii (O'ahu Scenic Drive)

Oahu is the capital island of the state of Hawaii, where most of the tourists arrive. And yet, the island is desperately beautiful and there is something to see. The main thing is not to rest too long on the main beach of Waikiki, but to quickly take a car and go to explore the island. Fly.

• Route: from Honolulu to anywhere.
• When to go: a good time during the high season (December to March), but it is better to go in the off-season: from mid-April to mid-June and from September to mid-December. I went just at the beginning of June and I confirm: there are not very many people, and the weather is great!
• Trip duration: 4-6 days
• Beautiful roads: Pali Highway (Hwy 61), Kamehameha Highway (Hwy 83), Kalaniana'ole Highway (Hwy 72)
• Attractions:(Diamond Head), Kailua Beach Park, Kualoa Regional Park, Waimea Bay, old road to Nu'uanu pali cliff.

Old road to Nu'uanu pali cliff on Oahu, Hawaii

4. Mae Hong Son Loop in Thailand (Mae Hong Son Loop)

Thailand has long been a mecca for beach holidays. But can you see the real Thailand on the beaches? No. For cultural pleasure, one must go to the north, where authentic life has remained. We lived on it for a long time and therefore I talk about it with special love.

Driving a rented car in Northern Thailand

• Route: - Pai - Mae Hong Son - Mae Sariang - Chiang Mai.
• Mileage: 600 km
• When to go: December - February, during the cool season.
• Trip duration: 3 to 5 days
• beautiful roads: mountain road 1095 from Chiang Mai to Mae Hong Son (turn 762), highways 107 and 108.
• Attractions: numerous , hot springs of the city , Tam Lod cave in Soppong, tea village , temples in , museum of the Second World War in , Tung Bua Tong sunflower field, the highest waterfall in Thailand , national park

Read more:

Authentic Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai city

Viewpoint along Road 1095 on Mae Hong Son Loop

5. Rocky mountains and lakes in Canada (Canadian Rockies & Lakes)

We have already visited the US Rocky Mountains - we went to the national park and were amazed at the pure beauty of nature in, so now I want to see what is there on the other side of the border. I see Canadian pictures of lakes and mountains all the time. And what beautiful roads there!

So this part of Canada is a must visit, and I'm already prepared. I offer you as many as two options for routes that will pass not only through the mountains, but also along the prairies and picturesque valleys with clear lakes.

Moraine lake in Canada

Route 1 in the Rocky Mountains of Canada in the states of British Columbia and Alberta:

• Travel: Calgary - Banff - Lake Louise - Jasper - Edmonton - Elk Island National Park - Calgary
• Mileage: 1200 km
• When to go: summer or early autumn. In autumn, multi-colored colors are added, and the number of tourists in the parks, on the contrary, is declining.
• Trip duration: Week 1
• Attractions: Banff National Park, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake.

Route 2 across the badlands, prairies and lakes of Canada from Calgary to Toronto:

• Travel: Calgary - Drumheller - Dinosaur Provincial Park - Head-Smashed-in-Buffalo-Jump - Moose Jaw - Regina - Saskatoon - Winnipeg - Thunder Bay - Algonquin Park - Sault Ste. Marie-Wawa-Toronto
• Mileage: 4500 km
• When to go: also in summer or early autumn
• Trip duration: 2 - 3 weeks

If you connect both of these routes, you can generally travel around Canada for 3.5 weeks or even a whole month. By the way, the entrance to the national parks of Canada is paid and it is more convenient to buy a subscription in advance (like) on the Parks Canada website.

6. Australian wilderness (Australian Outback)

Seeing the deserts of Australia is my old dream! As soon as I was leafing through a magazine and reading an article about the wonders of nature, I saw Mount Uluru, I realized that I want to visit Australia primarily for this amazing geological formation, which is located in the heart of the Southern Continent.

The scheme of beautiful roads in Australia: Alice Springs - Kings Canyon - Uluru

• Route: Alice Springs - King's Canyon - Uluru - Alice Springs
• Mileage: 1200 km
• When to go: from March to May (ideally in April) to avoid heat, rain and crowds of tourists.
• Trip duration: 5-7 days
• Attractions: Uluru, The Olgas (Kata Tjuta) mountains, beautiful sunsets, kangaroos and dingoes

Great Ocean Road in Australia

7. Great Ocean Road

Another reason to come to Australia is the Great Ocean Road across the state of Victoria from the city of Torquay ( Torquay) to Allansford ( allansford) along the edge of the southern continent. This scenic road, built in 1932, is considered a national treasure of Australia.

• Mileage: 243 km.
• When to go: Australian summer or autumn (November to March)
• Trip duration: 2-3 days
• Attractions: Port Campbell National Park and its highlights - the rocks of the Twelve Apostles, Shipwreck Coast, Loch Ard Gorge, The Grotto.

8. Dalton Highway in Alaska

Journey beyond the Arctic Circle through wild Alaska, from south to north. We have already traveled to the very north of Russia, to the Murmansk region and saw the Arctic Ocean. Now I want to do the same way through Alaska, the largest and most uninhabited US state. In addition, I already managed to visit, and it was very interesting, so I want to resume my adventures in Alaska!

The Dorona Dalton Highway is the road from Fairbanks to Deadhorse, but it's more convenient to fly into Anchorage and drive from there.

Road from Anchorage to Northern Alaska

• Route: Anchorage-Fairbanks-Deadhorse
• Mileage: 1400 one way
• When to go: in summer, and better in August, during the polar nights. By the way, the northern lights can also be caught starting in August.
• Trip duration: 5 days for the road + time for national parks (from 3 to 6 days).
• Attractions: Denali National Park with the highest mountain in the USA, Gateway to the Arctic National Park, Arctic Circle sign.

Chuisky Tract. Altai, Russia

Here are some more beautiful roads where you can go on your own by car:

• Chui tract- the most beautiful road in Russia in Altai. My friend rode it on a bicycle and says that she has never seen a more beautiful expensive one;
• Atlantic Road in Norway- the road through the islands through the sea;
• Road through the Pampas in Argentina- on road 40 from the very north to the south.

And these are the roads that you can’t drive on your cars yet, but you need to book a tour:

• Pamir Highway— from Kyrgyzstan to Tajikistan
• Altiplano of Bolivia- from the largest salt marsh in the world along volcanoes and picturesque lagoons with flamingos.

A faithful iron horse and a flat strip of asphalt under the wheels - what else can an avid travel lover dream of? However, sometimes you can close your eyes even to the absence of the second, in the case when the beauty of the nature spreading on the sides and in front of the nature covers all the inconveniences from road bumps.

Probably, you have seen a selection of the most beautiful roads from different countries of the world more than once and dreamed of someday driving along them. But few people know that there are truly picturesque trails in Russia. Connecting the most remote regions of our country, they run through dense forests, endless steppes and harsh taiga. Try to drive along each of them, and you will provide yourself with unforgettable impressions of the views of the landscapes surrounding these routes for the rest of your life.

1. Highway M-18 "Kola"

The R-21 (M-18) "Kola" highway originates in St. Petersburg and stretches to the village of Borisoglebsky on the very border with Norway. The further north the road goes, the more beautiful the landscape around becomes: the taiga with pines and firs is gradually replaced by forest-tundra, there are many serpentines, passes and lakes of glacial origin. And ahead, the Khibiny Mountains are looming more and more clearly in the haze.

2. Karelia. Road A-135

The road A-135 Kem - Kalevala - Lonka starts in the city of Kem, located off the coast of the White Sea, and ends at a checkpoint on the Russian-Finnish border. Dirt sections of the road with “blind” turns, unexpected hills behind which oncoming traffic is absolutely invisible and much more can be forgiven this road just by looking at the opening views of forest thickets and lakes.

3. Kalmykia. Road Volgograd - Elista - Stavropol

Everyone should take a look at this route. In the spring in April-May, the lifeless steppe that stretches along the sides of the highway (to be honest, in places it is in a terrible state), is transformed literally before our eyes and amazes with a riot of colors. A fantastically colored carpet of herbs fills the air with the scent of countless blooming tulips.

4. Western Caucasus. Highway A-147

The federal highway M-27 Dzhubga - Adler is one of the most beautiful roads in our country. The closer to the sea, the more picturesque views of mountains, serpentines, vineyards, beaches and other landscapes open up. Krasnodar Territory.

5. Georgian military road A-161

The Heavenly Gorge Road, completed at the end of the 18th century, played a big role in the development of economic ties between Russia and the Transcaucasus. It runs through the Main Caucasian Range and connects Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia with the capital and largest city Georgia - Tbilisi. The road passes through numerous passes and suddenly descends steeply into the gorge of the Aragvi River. Along the entire length of the route there are Georgian cathedrals, fortresses and watchtowers.

6. Kabardino-Balkaria. Highway A-158

The road A-158 "Baksan - Elbrus", if you have not been on it yet, will definitely give you a lot of new impressions. The route crosses the Kabardian valley and passes through the narrow Baksan gorge. Then, having overcome the rise of almost 2.5 thousand meters, you will find yourself almost at the foot of the famous Elbrus volcano.

7. Northern Urals. Serov tract

Rolling over the forested Ural Mountains, paving the way between rivers and swamps, the Serov tract tends from Yekaterinburg to the north to the city of Serov. To Nizhny Tagil, the tract consists of two separate one-way roads. Sometimes they diverge quite far from each other, separated by forests and mountains, and near Tagil finally converge into one narrow route.

8. Gorny Altai. Highway M-52

The Chuysky tract is the main transport artery of Altai and at the same time one of the most beautiful roads in Russia. The path runs through the entire mountain Altai showing local scenery in all its splendor. The road stretches away to the very border with Mongolia and, gradually, alpine meadows and snow-capped mountain peaks give way to desert boundless steppes, which are breathtaking.

The section of the M-54 highway from Abakan, the capital of the Republic of Khakassia, to Kyzyl and further to the border with Mongolia is known under the historical name Usinsky Trakt. The road runs through the primordial wild, almost untouched Sayan mountains, in places descending into the almost bare steppe. The contrast is amazing!

The Kamchatka Peninsula is a unique region on the map of Russia. This is a zone of modern volcanism, there are 30 active volcanoes and about 300 extinct ones. Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to get to most of the picturesque places in Kamchatka due to the almost complete absence of roads. The main Kamchatka highway with a length of 600 km from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Ust-Kamchatsk passes near Klyuchevskaya Sopka - the most high volcano Eurasia (4750 m).

Today it is the largest canyon in all of Europe: its length is 25 kilometers and the depth reaches 700 meters! Although the scale of the Verdon Gorge is inferior to the Arizona Canyon, it clearly surpasses it in beauty. It will take a whole day to go around the gorge in a circle, although there are only a hundred kilometers. But they all consist entirely of bends, descents and ascents, man-made tunnels and driveways under rocks hanging overhead and hiding the sky.

The most beautiful views of the gorge open from the old Cretan road, or the Cretan loop (Route des Cretes, D23), built in ancient times and passing along the northern edge of the canyon. This narrow winding path in places comes to the very cliff. There are observation decks along its edges, each of which offers breathtaking views of the Verdon. The Cretan loop is considered one-way: you need to drive a car along it clockwise, starting from the town of Castellane towards the artificial lake Sainte-Croix, which was formed after the construction of a dam in 1975.

2) Pamir Highway (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)

The highest mountain road in the territory of the former USSR. This almost completely dirt road climbs the spurs of the Pamir Mountains and passes through the three main mountain passes of the Pamirs: Taldyk (3615 m), Kyzyl-Art (4280 m) and the point closest to the "Roof of the World" - the Akbaital pass (4655 m). The eastern part of the tract - from the Kyrgyz city of Osh to the Tajik Khorog - was built in 1931-1934, when the USSR was actively developing the territory of the mountainous Pamirs. It passes through the green foothills, where horses graze and lonely yurts and dung-stained huts stand, as well as past the Pamir National Park, over which Lenin Peak (7134 m) rises.

3) Atlantic Road (Norway)

The Atlantic road (No 64) goes almost along the ocean itself, jumping from island to island with the help of bridges and tunnels. This is a unique technological facility: the route is only 8.5 kilometers long - as many as six bridges! The main one is the Storseisundet Bridge, which is also called the "Bridge to Heaven". If you approach it from the side of the mainland, it seems as if the canvas of the route breaks off at the highest point and the traveler can only jump straight into the sky. The impression is enhanced if you drive along the Atlantic Road in the fall, when the storm season begins: huge waves roll on small islands, crash with a crash on the bridge supports, and sometimes cover the entire road, trying to lick the cars driving along it.

However, the Atlantic road is only part of the route through the fjords. Moving along it further towards Oslo, you will come to one of the most famous serpentines in Europe - the Troll Stairs (Trollstigen) climbing the slope of the mountain.

4) Route 40 (Argentina)

Route No 40 (Ruta 40) crosses almost all of Argentina from north to south and goes along the high Andean ridges. This is one of the longest roads in the world - 5000 kilometers long! At the same time, they pass through several climatic zones. The landscape around is constantly changing: forests, rocks, lakes, fields, meadows, deserts, almost uninhabited pampas, asphalt and gravel, dust and red sand, sun and knocking wind, 27 mountain passes, 18 major rivers, finally, 20 national parks, in each of which you can spend several days