Dreaming at the Wheel: The 10 Most Unusual Roads in the World
A list by Açelya Kirezci on Gezimanya caught my eye: ten scenic and fascinating roads from around the world. It was published in early August, reviving the curiosity about routes left over from summer holidays. Here are the ones that stayed with me.
The Chizhou Road in Anhui province, China, is about 120 kilometres long, and it's also called the Sky Road because it looks like it runs above the clouds. Norway's Atlantic Road consists of eight bridges linking small islets; the most iconic point, the Storseisundet Bridge, is 260 metres long. Romania's Transfăgărășan is about 90 kilometres, built in the 1970s for strategic reasons, and usually open only between July and October because of snow.
The Amalfi Coast Road (SS163) in Italy is about 50 kilometres and links Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. In South Africa, Chapman's Peak Drive is only 9 kilometres long but has 114 bends. In the US, the Pacific Coast Highway runs for about a thousand kilometres, and its wildest stretch is Big Sur. Iceland's Ring Road covers 1,322 kilometres and goes all the way around the country.
In Nikko, Japan, the Irohazaka road is famous for its 48 sharp bends, representing the 48 characters of the Japanese kana syllabary, with a sign at each bend showing the corresponding character. Australia's Great Ocean Road is about 240 kilometres and was built as a memorial to soldiers returning from the First World War. The list ends with the Los Caracoles Pass between Chile and Argentina: at about 3,200 metres, it crosses the Andes with 29 sharp bends on the Chilean side.
For me, the value of lists like this is that they give you ideas for the next journey, even if you can't go right away. For people living abroad, they can also be a nice way to find a weekend route. Which one would you like to drive?
Source: Gezimanya
The Chizhou Road in Anhui province, China, is about 120 kilometres long, and it's also called the Sky Road because it looks like it runs above the clouds. Norway's Atlantic Road consists of eight bridges linking small islets; the most iconic point, the Storseisundet Bridge, is 260 metres long. Romania's Transfăgărășan is about 90 kilometres, built in the 1970s for strategic reasons, and usually open only between July and October because of snow.
The Amalfi Coast Road (SS163) in Italy is about 50 kilometres and links Positano, Amalfi and Ravello. In South Africa, Chapman's Peak Drive is only 9 kilometres long but has 114 bends. In the US, the Pacific Coast Highway runs for about a thousand kilometres, and its wildest stretch is Big Sur. Iceland's Ring Road covers 1,322 kilometres and goes all the way around the country.
In Nikko, Japan, the Irohazaka road is famous for its 48 sharp bends, representing the 48 characters of the Japanese kana syllabary, with a sign at each bend showing the corresponding character. Australia's Great Ocean Road is about 240 kilometres and was built as a memorial to soldiers returning from the First World War. The list ends with the Los Caracoles Pass between Chile and Argentina: at about 3,200 metres, it crosses the Andes with 29 sharp bends on the Chilean side.
For me, the value of lists like this is that they give you ideas for the next journey, even if you can't go right away. For people living abroad, they can also be a nice way to find a weekend route. Which one would you like to drive?
Source: Gezimanya
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