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The 10 most epic motorcycle roads in Europe
Some roads are famous because a television show said so; these are famous because riders keep going back. Here are ten that justify a week on the bike, in no particular order, with the facts behind the legend.
Plan this trip1 Stelvio Pass
Photo by kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Stelvio Pass is a mountain pass in northern Italy bordering Switzerland at an elevation of 2,757 m (9,045 ft) above sea level. It is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, 7 m (23 Wikipedia
Forty-eight numbered hairpins on the Prato side, stacked like a staircase. It is crowded in July and August; ride it early in the morning or in September.
Written about in 32 languagesStart a trip here
2 Transfăgărășan
Photo by Horia Varlan from Bucharest, Romania, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Transfăgărășan (trans + Făgăraș), or DN7C, is a paved mountain road crossing the southern section of the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. It has national-road ranking and is the second-highest paved road in the country after the Transalpina. Wikipedia
The road that made Romania a motorcycle destination. The northern ramp above Bâlea Lake is the showpiece; the southern side is quieter and longer. Open roughly July to October.
Written about in 31 languagesStart a trip here
3 Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Photo by Sander Hoogendoorn from Gouda, Holland, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road (in German Großglockner Hochalpenstraße) is the highest surfaced mountain pass road in Austria. Wikipedia
A toll road built for the view, with the Edelweissspitze side spur for the panorama. Smooth surface, wide hairpins, and a glacier at the end.
Written about in 20 languagesStart a trip here
4 Trollstigen
Photo by Clementp.fr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Trollstigen is a serpentine mountain road and pass in Rauma Municipality, Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of Norwegian County Road 63 that connects the town of Åndalsnes in Rauma and the village of Valldal in Fjord Municipality. Wikipedia
Eleven hairpins up a cliff face with a waterfall in the middle. Short, but the approach from Geiranger over the Eagle Road makes it a full day.
Written about in 26 languagesStart a trip here
5 Col de Turini
Photo by Jérémie Forget, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. The Col de Turini (el. 1607 m) is a high mountain pass in the Alps in the department of Alpes-Maritimes in France. Wikipedia
Rally stage by night, motorcycle road by day: narrow, wooded, and relentlessly twisty from Sospel. Nice is less than two hours away.
Written about in 10 languagesStart a trip here
6 Sa Calobra (Mallorca)
Photo by Olaf Tausch, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Sa Calobra is a small village in the Escorca municipality on the northwest coast of the Spanish Balearic island of Mallorca. The port village is a popular destination for coach trips and road cyclists. Wikipedia
A dead-end road down to a cove with a 270-degree loop that passes under itself. Ride it both ways; the climb back is the better half.
Written about in 8 languagesStart a trip here
7 Transalpina (DN67C)
Photo by Saturnian, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Transalpina or DN67C is a 148 km national road located in the Parâng Mountains group, Southern Carpathians of Romania, one of the highest roads of the Carpathian Mountains. It connects Novaci, south of Parâng Mountains, to Sebeș in the north. Wikipedia
The quieter sister of the Transfăgărășan, higher at its top and with longer views. Combine the two for a Carpathian loop.
Written about in 11 languagesStart a trip here
8 Furka Pass
Photo by Cooper.ch 10:27, 27 October 2006 (UTC), CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Furka Pass is a 2,429 m (7,969 ft) high mountain pass in the southern Swiss Alps connecting Gletsch, Valais with Realp, Uri via the seasonal Furkapassroute. Wikipedia
One pass of the Swiss "big three" loop with Grimsel and Susten. Grey rock, glacier views, and the Belvedere hairpins that appeared in Goldfinger.
Written about in 30 languagesStart a trip here
9 Col de l'Iseran
Photo by Wormke-Grutman at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Col de l'Iseran (el. 2,764 metres (9,068 ft)) is a mountain pass in France, the highest paved pass in the Alps. Wikipedia
The highest paved pass in the Alps. Thin air, snow walls in June, and a long descent to Bonneval-sur-Arc that feels like the end of the world.
Written about in 19 languagesStart a trip here
10 Bealach na Bà
Photo by Stefan Krause, Germany, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons. Bealach na Bà is a winding pass through the mountains of the Applecross peninsula, in Wester Ross in the Scottish Highlands. It is traversed by a single track road, which passes through several corries. Wikipedia
Scotland's answer to the Alps: single track, 20 percent gradients and sea views to Skye. Part of the North Coast 500 but better on its own, on a weekday.
Written about in 6 languagesStart a trip here
Riding or driving it
Put three or four of these in a row and let Roadlegs cut the trip into riding days. Set Twisty in the settings, a 5-hour day, and a start and end time if you want to be at the hotel before the light goes; the planner keeps the route out of Russia and Belarus and tells you where to refuel.
Open the plan in Roadlegs How the planner handles this vehicle.
About the facts and photos
The descriptions in italics are the opening sentences of the Wikipedia article for each place, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, fetched on 6 October 2026. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under the licence named beside each one. "Written about in N languages" counts the Wikipedia editions that have an article, from Wikidata; it is a measure of how well known a place is, not a rating. Everything else is the author's own opinion. Roads close with the seasons: check before you go.
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