Top 12 Most Beautiful Highways in the World
There are a few factors that go into making a highway beautiful, but one of the most important is its scenery. While mountain and ocean views are always ... read more...stunning, there are lots of other views that are equally as beautiful and interesting. Another thing to consider is whether the highway is under construction or is already completed. Let's explore the list of most beautiful highways in the world to a look at the most beautiful highways in the world based on their scenery and construction status.
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Milford Road is winding through Fiordland National Park, the heart of the Southern Alps, visitors will find this stunning 144-mile-long road. The road is part of State Highway 94 and connects the town, Te Anau with Milford Sound- a place some will recognize as one of the filming locations for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Along the scenic Milford Road, travelers will get to see lush rainforests, crystal clear lakes, and waterfalls as well as the Fiordland National Park. Some of Fiordland's most striking and significant features are revealed along this route, so be sure to allow enough time to stop for photo opportunities and walks.
Milford Road is much more than a way to get to Milford Sound; it's an unforgettable journey into the heart of Fiordland National Park and the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage area, and one of the most beautiful highways in the world. Along the scenic Milford Road, travelers get to see ridiculously beautiful rainforests, crystal clear lakes, thundering waterfalls, mighty cliffs, and snow-capped summits. Every 15 minutes the landscape and climate change into wide valleys and steep peaks, lush vegetation, and bare rock, snow, and sun. It’s all so amazingly picturesque that it’s actually rather difficult for the driver to concentrate solely on the road ahead.
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At elevations ranging from 5,000 to over 9,000 feet above sea level, Scenic Highway 12 curves 124 miles throughout the rugged landscape of southwestern Utah. The highway took nearly four decades to build and spans the area between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef National Parks. If visitors plan on traveling this way, they can access the highway from either US 89 or Highway 12. As they drive along, take some time to check out popular tourist destinations along the way, such as the Dixie National Forest, the Kodachrome Basin State Park, the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and the Anasazi State Park Museum. With national parks, historic towns, state parks, and a national monument along this route, there’s a new experience around every bend in the road.
Scenic Highway 12 is one of the most scenic roads in the United States, and also one of the most beautiful highways in the world. There are two major National Parks that travelers will come across on this road. Highway 12 cuts through some of the most stunning and rough terrain in Southern Utah. Along the route, visitors will get a great view of jagged red-rock formations, deep slot canyons, green alpine forests, and rolling meadows. Some travelers drive it all in one go, while others take time to make stops along the way to check out some of the unique sites.
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Extending to just over seven miles long and snaking to the top of UAE’s second-highest peak, and one of the most beautiful highways in the world, the Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road gives visitors panoramic views of the town, Al Ain. The road carves a path through a mountain of limestone and ends at the mountain’s peak, where visitors can access a hotel as well as a restaurant. Along the way, visitors will feel like driving on another planet, with the dramatic Arabian landscapes seen at their finest.
Located on the outskirts of Al Ain, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jabal Hafeet Mountain Road is one of the greatest driving roads in the world. The road is totally paved and the surface is really smooth. It’s 10.7 km (6.64 miles) long, starting at Al Ain, an inland oasis city. The road is a mixture of fast straights and sweeping curves that merge perfectly from one to another forming this amazing driving road in the middle of the desert. The road is very steep, hitting an 11% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. The road trip is 20 minutes of pure amusement. The astonishing part is that the two climbing paths are in a way that travelers can calmly drive at the furthest right path while taking in the peaceful view without deterring any other person’s view.
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Beginning one hour outside of Melbourne in Torquay, The Great Ocean Road stretches over 250 kilometers to Allansford, a small town near Warrnambool. It attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year. The name says it all on the Great Ocean Road, which winds its way along Australia's southern coast and conjures up an outstanding panorama through the windscreen. Officially named the B100, the road runs over 240 kilometers west of Melbourne, from the seaside towns of Torquay to Allansford. Travelers will pass through national parks, along cliffs, past lighthouses, and – as can be seen in the picture – the well-known Twelve Apostles rock formation.
Breathe in the crisp salty air and witness nature at its best as visitors drive along the rugged southeastern coast of Australia. The Great Ocean Road runs from Torquay to Warrnambool in the state of Victoria and offers dramatic, breathtaking coastal views. Along the route, there are museums, restaurants, and beaches, as well as whale lookouts and surf spots. The road also passes by Apollo Bay, Shipwreck Coast, the Great Otway National Park, and the Twelve Apostles--a collection of limestone stacks right on the shoreline. The Great Ocean Road is famous around the world as one of the best scenic drives on the planet, and it’s certainly one of the best road trips in Australia, as well as the most beautiful highways in the world.
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Florida’s Overseas Highway is a world-famous scenic highway. It consists of 42 bridges that connect the Florida Keys to the Florida mainland, known as one of the most beautiful highways in the world. Built in the 1930s, the Overseas Highway follows the path of a now obsolete railroad track that once crossed over the Florida Keys. Today, the 113-mile Overseas Highway operates as the southernmost leg of US 1 and extends from mainland Florida to Key West. As the highway skips from island to island, drivers get a full view of the magnificent, turquoise waters surrounding them.
The Overseas Highway is an amazingly popular road trip because of its beautiful ocean views, and because it links the tourist hotspots of Miami and Key West. It is measured by a series of mile markers; a system that began in the early 1900s, when the route was established as a railway. Driving down the Overseas Highway, visitors will see many of the old bridges alongside the newer ones. Some have become popular fishing piers, inhabited by patient anglers awaiting action at the end of their lines. Besides the natural beauty along the route - tidal flats, and teal waters dotted by distant islands - the Overseas Highway is simply an engineering marvel. Its concrete stretches across impossible expanses of water, the Atlantic spreading out to the left, the Gulf to the right.
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Located in northern Italy near the Swiss border, Stelvio Pass is one of the most visited and dangerous roads in the world. It was built in the 1820s and is now the highest drivable pass in the Eastern Alps, zigzagging to just over 9,000 feet above sea level. The road, which features 60 hairpin turns, is a popular route for bicycle races and motorcycle rallies as well. The Stelvio region is an all-year-round skiing destination with summer skiing from May to October. On the pass, a cable car leads to the ski slopes of Livrio. While some tourists are attracted by the summer skiing adventure, most visitors are coming here to experience a hundred turns following the Bormio-Trafoi Route.
Since 1898, the Stelvio Pass in Italy has been regarded as an excellent driving road, especially for those looking for a challenge, becomes one of the most beautiful highways in the world. Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson has already been awarded the Alpine Stelvio Pass with the title of "Most Beautiful Road in the World". Anyone who has traversed its hairpin corners will know exactly what the British TV presenter is talking about. The journey, via the SS38’s east ramp and onto the Strada del Passo Dello Stelvio through the South Tyrolean Vinschgau valley, is particularly legendary. From the village of Prad to the pass itself, there are 48 bends over 25 kilometers. With an incomparable mountain panorama all around, it creates an almost magical atmosphere. The view from the top is spectacular. Probably one of the most powerful views from any mountain pass in Europe.
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Deemed a National Tourist Route, the striking Atlantic Roadway is a must-see, àd also one of the most beautiful highways in the world. The five-mile route is a part of Norwegian National Road 64 and leapfrogs from island to island, connecting the towns of Kristiansund and Molde in midwestern Norway. The road first opened in 1989 and now features four views and rest areas to accommodate the large amounts of tourists that come to view the picturesque route. The Atlantic Road has National Tourist Route status and the entire stretch between Bud and Kristiansund is one continuous experience packed with coastal scenery, culture, and history. The contrasts between a trip on a sun-soaked and tranquil summer day and a foam-sprayed journey in a storm from the northwest are amazing.
Although it’s under 10 kilometers long, Norway’s Atlantic Roadway still has a lot to offer. Within this distance, travelers will cross eight epic bridges, each one more impressive than the next. There is one particular bridge that is famously called the Storseisundet Bridge. This is because from a certain angle as visitors approach it, either way, it looks as if it’s twisting up and over on itself and it certainly looks a bit scary. This eight-kilometer-long stretch of road is one of Norway’s national tourist routes and is listed as a cultural heritage site. It also ranks among the country’s most popular nature-oriented attractions. Several major advertisements have also been filmed here.
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The Cabot Trail curls around the northern tip of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia. The road brings travelers through lush green forests that in the fall transform into a breathtaking sea of reds, oranges, and yellows as the leaves change colors. Along the route, drivers will come across an abundance of restaurants, museums, and galleries as well as hiking and snowmobiling paths. As well as soaking up the incredible views, there are plenty of attractions where people will want to stop and explore. The drive links several coastal villages where visitors can sample fresh seafood, browse local art or learn about the region’s Acadian and Gaelic heritage. The Cabot Trail also provides access to hiking trails in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, ranging from clifftop boardwalks to forest rambles. Other activities include whale watching and kayaking.
Casting a loop around Cape Breton Island in the northeast of Nova Scotia, the Cabot Trail is a 298km touring route. One of the world’s most scenic coastal drives, it weaves around rugged headlands with spectacular views of the North Atlantic and Gulf of St Lawrence. Thousands of outdoor enthusiasts tackle the Cabot Trail under pedal power each summer. The trip is not particularly long, but it is very strenuous in sections, and the lack of a wide shoulder can make for some hair-raising moments. The classic way to see the best of the island is the Cabot Trail, a two-lane highway that loops around the island's north and connects its wilderness areas and several of its historic towns, becoming one of the most beautiful highways in the world.
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Col de Turini coils through the Alpes-Maritimes in the south of France and reaches an elevation of 5,200 feet. The dizzying road, which ends in Sospel, is built on retaining walls and is often used for the popular Monte Carlo Rally car race. It has also made appearances in another popular road race, the Tour de France. The highway is considered to be extremely dangerous because of the abundance of sharp turns and relatively small width, however, for many years it remains one of the most interesting ways, as well as the most beautiful highways in the world. During the trip, travelers have an opportunity to admire the most beautiful canyons and gorges, interesting bridges, and mountain scenery.
The French Alps is home to the most dangerous serpentine road Col de Turini. The final segment of the route is considered to enter the gorge. This mountain serpentine road is well known to the fans of the Monte Carlo Rally of WRC because it’s one of the most dangerous sections of the 32-kilometer stage. The Tour de France, a notorious cycling competition, has also borrowed the Col de Turini several times. The bottom section is quite open and flowing, but narrow, and with several blind corners. Hugging the mountainside, and going through it, up through the trees, the road becomes more challenging, with hairpin bends plenty, rock on one side and drops on the other, the top section is extremely twisty, with rocks sometimes in the road, not a road to lose concentration on.
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Ruta 40 is a classic road in western Argentina, stretching all the way from Puna to Cabo Virgins. It’s an incredible 3,045 miles long, and not surprisingly, is the longest road in Argentina. Running parallel to the Andes, Ruta 40 reaches almost 16,000 above sea level and crosses 236 bridges, 18 major rivers, 13 great lakes, and 20 reservations and national parks. Throughout the journey, drivers may cross over some unpaved roads and through some extremely remote areas. Part of the myth of Ruta 40 was its difficulty: long sections of hundreds of miles of tough gravel road, with a ridged washboard surface, potholes and loose stones, and sandblasting the underside of the car. Paving work done over the past ten years has paved most of Ruta 40 and roadwork is continuing, but there still are some very difficult gravel and dirt sections on Ruta 40.
One of the most beautiful highways in the world, traveling along the Ruta 40 is internationally renowned as a classic road trip. Beginning at the Bolivian border, it runs parallel to the Andes all the way to Rio Gallegos. With its notoriously poor surfaces – just dirt and gravel in sections – hairpin bends, and endless straight sections buffeted by violent gusts across the deserted steppe, it is considered one of the world’s most epic drives. As summer rains tend to flood and damage the route, the Northwest and Cuyo are better to be traveled during the winter season, roughly from May to September. A far cry from Patagonia, where the best time for road trips is from October to April. Winter snow and ice make the journey more challenging there, thus, summer promises better conditions.
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In the Transylvanian Alps between the Romanian regions of Great Wallachia and Transylvania, visitors will find the Transfagarasan, a paradise for corner hunters. The Transfagarasan in Romania, also known as Ceausescu's Folly, is one of the greatest places to visit in Romania. Transfagarasan highway or DN7C is a high-quality mountain road crossing the Fagaras mountain. It stretches for 90 kilometers between the highest peaks in Romania, Moldoveanu, and Negoiu. The DN7C road takes people through this route from Baskov to Cartisoara. Passing through an awe-inspiring alpine environment, it is no mere link road. So the Romanians use this 117-kilometer-long route for the Sibiu Cycling Tour mountain race every year.
The Transfagarasan highway was constructed between 1970 and 1974 during the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu as a response to the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union. the communist leader wanted to have quick military access across the mountains in case of an invasion. The Transfagarasan sure is one of the most beautiful highways in the world, as well as in the whole road, and a magnet for tourists visiting Romania. Driving on the Transfagarasan is an incredible experience, as you'll have to take on myriad hairpin turns, allowing you to admire some of the most stunning views. It's an amazing drive that takes you to the top of the mountain, where you can relax with incredible vista points and have a cup of tea by the glacial Bâlea Lake. The Transfagarasan is the second-highest mountain pass in Romania after the Transalpina. It is a winding road, dotted with steep hairpin turns, long S-curves, and sharp descents. It continues to be one of the top attractions in Romania amongst driving enthusiasts, cyclists, and hikers.
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There’s a 300-kilometer stretch of coastal road on the southwest tip of South Africa regarded as the most beautiful region in the country, known as the Garden Route - one of the most beautiful highways in the world, the road trip gets its name from the Garden Route National Park that it covers, and the diverse vegetation and wildlife, and abundance of lagoons, lakes, mountains, forests, and beaches along its winding roads. Home to almost a dozen nature and marine reserves, a road trip on the Garden Route offers plenty of opportunities for activities along the way, from hiking to eco and whale watching tours, to exploring caves and deserted sandy beaches. Whether a car lover or nature enthusiast – or both – everybody should be enjoying South Africa’s legendary Garden Route at least once in their lifetime. Between the towns of Swellendam and Humansdorp, drivers will find the most famous part of the Garden Route, which runs for over 300 kilometers. National parks, surfer hot spots, culinary delights – here visitors can combine a rest break with several unique experiences.
The Garden Route is probably one of the most popular destinations in South Africa for both locals and foreigners and it absolutely deserves to be. The highway meanders between the Indian Ocean and the Tsitsikamma and Outeniqua mountain ranges, creating contrasting, yet equally stunning views on either side. The lush greenery of the indigenous forests meets the jagged cliffs and the sprawling coastal vistas, producing the type of panoramic views only found in magazines. Follow the glittering coastline with its dramatic cliffs and marvelous sunsets and discover why this stretch is celebrated for its birds and unique plants.