Recently, more and more people go on independent trips by personal transport. Someone rides a car, someone on a motorcycle, some use bicycles as a transport. If you choose the right route, then traveling along it can bring a storm of positive emotions, it will be intense, exciting and very pleasant. It was for such travelers that we prepared a rating of the most beautiful roads in the world, in which we collected ten of the most beautiful and picturesque roads from four continents according to the popular National Geographic magazine.
10
Crete road
Location: Verdon Gorge (France).
The Cretan road, which is officially called D23, is a highway that runs along Europe’s largest gorge and one of France’s main attractions, the Verdon Gorge. The road is about 100 kilometers long, but its most beautiful and picturesque part runs along the gorge.
The most picturesque views can be seen by driving along the old Cretan road, the Cretan loop, which has been known since ancient times. Here you will definitely get a shot of adrenaline, as in places this narrow road runs along a high cliff. To prevent accidents, the Cretan loop is a one-way road and is equipped with observation platforms, which offer beautiful views of the gorge.
For the most vivid journey, we recommend starting your route from the city of Castellane and moving towards Lake Saint Croix.
9
Pamir tract
Location: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.
The Pamir Highway is an amazing road, about 720 kilometers long, that connects the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, with the Kyrgyz city of Osh. This road has been functioning since the time of the Russian Empire, when Russia confronted Britain in the battle for influence over Central Asia. The Pamir Highway was needed as a strategic road.
The Pamir Highway is considered the highest road in the territory of the former USSR, it passes through several high mountain passes of the Pamir - Taldyk, Kyzyl-Art and Akbaital, the height of which is from 3 615 m. up to 4 280m. above sea level. We think that we should not focus on the fact that the path along this road is very difficult and only a trained traveler will receive true pleasure from this route. In addition, there is no asphalt pavement on most of the road.
The traveler along the Pamir Highway will enjoy picturesque views of the peaked peaks of the Pamirs, steep cliffs, tunnels, a lot of dust and sparse vegetation. You will drive through mountain villages, and trucks and jeeps packed with provisions, as well as carts harnessed by donkeys, will rarely pass by you.
8
Dalton Highway
Location: Alaska (USA).
This route, 660 kilometers long, cuts Alaska in half from south to north. This is the most isolated road in the world. All along the way, you will come across only a few small villages, the population of which in total will be no more than a hundred people. The track was built by engineer Dalton in 1974 and served as a connecting artery to the Pradho oil-producing region.
Cars and moto-tourists with voracious motors are not the place here; all along the way you will meet only two gas stations. It is also quite difficult to get medical care and help in repairing equipment. But for a prepared tourist, this road will be a real fascinating journey through a harsh region, which will give a lot of positive emotions.
By the way, there is a very interesting article on the most interesting places for traveling around the USA on most-beauty.ru.
7
Transfagaras Highway
Location: Wallachia and Transylvania (Romania).
The history of the construction of a high mountain highway through the Fagaras massif dates back to 1970. It was then that the Romanian president Nicolae Ceausescu found a way how to unite Wallachia and Transylvania in one fell swoop. If not for the tragic incidents in the Czech Republic and the threat of a military attack, the world would never have admired the beauty of a magnificent mountain road. Transfagaras was built with military functions in mind, but tourists rush to see it with their own eyes to touch eternity.
The highway is about 261 kilometers long. It snakes among the colorful valleys and fields where Romanians manually reap and collect heavy golden ears of wheat, then it goes around crystal lakes and deep reservoirs, "runs into a visit" to the ancient Romanian villages, where houses made of gray stone are lined up in a row.
At the very beginning of the highway, the town of Sibiu surprises with its architecture, in which the heritage of Romanesque, Latin and Slavic cultures harmoniously blend. It is characteristic that in almost every village not only a church, an Orthodox church, but also a mosque was built.
A beautiful cathedral in the town of Curtea de Arges invites you to enter and be numb from the type of stucco on the walls and exquisite carvings. Count Dracula is not asleep and monitors lonely travelers from the Carpathians. His name is imprinted in the names of hotels, streets, castles and souvenir shops.
6
Alluring atlantic road
Location: Møre og Romsdal (Norway).
The peculiarity of the Atlantic road is that it soars above the ocean depths, jumping over the islands through tunnels and bridges. A real technical miracle: the length of the route is about 8.5 km, but as many as 6 bridges have been erected! The most impressive of them is the Storseisundet Bridge, and another name is “Bridge to Heaven”.
When you approach the construction from the mainland side, there is a visual effect that the track will break off at the very top and throw the helpless traveler into the sky with an invisible wave. But if you drive along the highway in the fall, when storms "walk" with might and main, then thrills are guaranteed.
In the photo: Geiranger fjord.
However, the Atlantic Road is only a small part of the journey through the fjords. Further, the route does not lose its sharpness when you follow it in the direction of Oslo, where there is one of the most popular European serpentines - “Troll Staircase”.
Trolls regularly perform “magical” work: they wrap the stairs with a heavy fog that hangs in a whitish veil. I want to stay forever among the fabulous beauty: to guess through the smoky milky whiteness of the outlines of rocks and stones that are covered with emerald moss. If you wake up and continue the journey along the highway, then you will see the Geiranger fjord. It is here that it is so good to relax from the bustle of the city: wander among the surroundings and admire the murmuring waterfalls.
5
Ancient China: the symbolic meaning of the Great Gate Road
Location: Hunan Province (China).
The peculiarity of the Chinese mentality is not only diligence and zeal, but also an addiction to numbers, symbols and signs. Therefore, a ride on the "Great Gate Road" so easily does not work. Highways are recognized as the coolest serpentine in the world. The road swiftly climbs Mount Tianmen. The highway is only 11 km long, but it rises to a height of 1,300 m, turning 99 times.
The number 9 is considered sacred by the Chinese and indicates not only the number of the emperor, but also the number of palaces for each person in the afterlife. Therefore, the Tianmen highway has received such a significant name, "Road to Heaven."
Cave "Heaven's Gate".
The cave "Heaven's Gate" is attracting attention. It has been going on since ancient times, when a huge block separated from the cliff. The height of the gate is 131.5 m. And the top is hidden in dense fog. According to legend, passing through them will find a way into the sky. But in order to climb to the ancient cave, you need to overcome the difficult path to the top.
4
Argentina: Route 40
Location: Argentina.
Approximately all of Argentina runs along Route 40, which advances parallel to the Andean ranges. The length of the road is more than 5,000 km. Yes, and passes some climatic zones. Where else can you see such a changing landscape: rocks, forest, fields, lakes, meadows, deserts, desert pampas, gravel, dust, sand? And also the wind howls, striving to knock down, and the scorching sun shines above!
On the road there are 27 mountain passes, 18 large rivers and 20 national parks where you can stay for a long time.
In the photo: Los Glaciares Park.
Los Glaciares Park is famous for the presence of the huge Perito Moreno Glacier, in which a huge amount of fresh water is concentrated. The glacier is so large that it is comparable to the area of Buenos Aires, and, moreover, moves about 2 meters per day. Tourists are provided with viewing platforms to look at it. Along the way, you can reach the famous “Cave of Hands”, where handprints are everywhere and the walls of a primitive hunt are captured.
It is very informative to look into the park of Argentina - “Kalchaki Valley”, where you can make an unforgettable trip in one day, that is, start the path from the mountain peaks, and finish among the subtropical forest.
3
Native American Legacy: Colorado Plateau. USA: Traveling the Big Circle
Location: United States.
Many are fascinated by the theme of the Wild West. These lands extend west of the Rocky Mountains. At the very beginning of the development of the Indian territory, all efforts were directed to trample and destroy the unique natural values.
The current name for this area is the Big Circle. At first, it was called a bus tour, from which came the name of the area. You must begin the journey from Denver to visit the Rocky Mountains National Park at the head of the Colorado River, and continue on through Aspen to the exotic Colorado Plateau. Along the way, drive through the lands of the Navajo Indians, where the Arok Park and Monument Valley are located.
In the photo: Antelope Canyon.
A very remarkable Antelope Canyon is located near the town of Page, there is a wooden shield with an inscription. If you rent a boat, you can spend an unforgettable walk on Lake Powell. Who did not dream to visit the Grand Canyon?
It is located just south of Page. If you continue to move along its southern part, you will have the opportunity to see the remaining pieces of the first trans-American Route 66 Chicago to Los Angeles. Then again we turn to the Grnad Canyon, and call in to visit a real ranch.
In the photo: Hoover Dam.
And only later will the Hoover Dam appear before the gaze - an odious monument of the 30s of the last century, from where it leads straight to Las Vegas. It turns out that you can cross the Big Circle, having visited four states: Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. But all the places of interest in one visit can not be overcome, because it is here that most of the American national parks. Come back here more than once to absorb such beauty.
2
The path along the edge of the continent. Australia: Exotic Great Ocean Road
Location: Victoria (Australia).
Along the Pacific coast lies the Great Ocean Road, which is 243 km long. It was built by soldiers who returned from the battles of the First World War, as an eternal memory of fallen comrades. The highway was opened in 1932 as one of the most gigantic memorials in the world, and when 30 years have passed, it was called one of the most beautiful on the planet.
The route extends along the edge of the coast, where you can admire the endless influx of waves and the play of light in cozy lagoons. The main noteworthy places of the road can be noted. One of the most famous ones on the way is the mysterious Shipwreck, where they found the last refuge of 638 ships.
In the photo: the rocks of the "Twelve Apostles".
Lonely limestone cliffs towering 45 meters above the raging ocean attract attention. They were called the Twelve Apostles, although there are eight of them, but before they were all called Pig and Piglets. To attract more tourists, they came up with the name, covered with a haze of romanticism, - "The Twelve Apostles."
A very similar story at the London Arch cliff, whose age reaches 20 million years. For a long time it was called the "London Bridge" for its similarity with the Tower Bridge. But in 1990, ocean waves eroded the span adjacent to the mainland, and the bridge turned into an arch. That is what distinguishes the Great Ocean Road: the coastline changes very rapidly, and tomorrow you can see something completely different than it was today.
You can ride along the highway not only for the purpose of contemplating landscapes, conquering the waves and sunbathing on the beach. Here is the route of the Australian safari. Where else can you see how southern whales migrate, if not in Warrnambula? And where else, if not in Tower Hill, right in the Hunting Reserve, you can compose an emu and a kangaroo company, admire the funny koalas and free sea birds?
1
The majestic Altai. Chuysky tract
Location: south of Siberia (Russia).
This road, stretching from Novosibirsk to the border with Mongolia, is part of the Great Asian Route AH4, one end of which is the Pakistani city of Karachi. The length of the road is 953 km.
The road can be conditionally divided into three parts: plain, foothill and mountain. And if in the first two parts of the road there are not many sights, then the third (mountain) part of it will delight any tourist. Moving from the direction of Novosibirsk, the degree of interest in the road all the time goes up. Having passed the Novosibirsk region, you find yourself in the Altai Territory, where, moving along the plain, you pass the city of Biysk and continue the route towards the Altai Republic.
Before reaching the Altai Republic, you can see the first attraction of the route - the village of Srostki. It would seem that it is an ordinary-looking village, but it is noteworthy for the fact that it is the birthplace of the famous writer and actor Vasily Shukshin. Here annually hosts a large festival in honor of Vasily Makarovich.
And one of the authors of most-beauty.ru took these photos on his own, driving through these beautiful places.
After a hundred kilometers you will find yourself in the most interesting mountainous part of the route, where the beautiful Katun flows on the right side of the road - fast, beautiful, with raging rapids. Here, the gaze opens to beautiful mountains with sheer cliffs and dense vegetation. This is the most popular part of the road among tourists.
Here you will find many tourist centers, some of which are striking in their beauty, a gambling zone with the only legal casino in the region has been built nearby. Excursions, river rafting, discos - here everyone will find entertainment for themselves.
In the photo: Sarlyk, Seminsky Pass
After driving another three hundred kilometers along the Chuysky tract, you will already be among the high mountains, some of which are covered with white glaciers. The nature here is already more virgin; tourist bases are much less. Then you have to overcome 2 passes (Seminsky and Chike-Taman), which centuries ago were a serious test for travelers and merchants.
It is worth noting that this road was the only link connecting Russia with China and Mongolia in Siberia. Mention of this road is found in sources of a thousand years ago.
In the photo: Chui steppe
Approaching Kosh-Agach, you will find yourself in the intermountain basin, which will amaze you with its steppe landscapes. Steppe vegetation against the backdrop of peaked snow-capped mountains looks very beautiful. All along the path of the mountainous part of the tract you will come across villages in which time has stopped. Along with standard dwellings, yurts are often found here. And only satellite dishes are a reminder of civilization.
By the way, about many Altai sights on our site most-beauty.ru there is a very informative article with many photos.
Each stone here has its own story. The number of natural and cultural attractions in these places is very high.If you plan to drive along this route, take some time to fully experience this road.