The most beautiful roads in the world - the best routes to travel by car. The most beautiful and picturesque roads in the world The most interesting and beautiful roads in the world

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 is only a hundred kilometers. But they all consist entirely of bends, descents and ascents, man-made tunnels and passages under the rocks hanging overhead and hiding the sky.

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

2) Pamir Highway (Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan)

The highest mountain road in the territory of the former USSR. This almost completely unpaved 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 closest point to the "Roof of the World" point - the Akbaital pass (4655 m). The eastern part of the tract - from the Kyrgyz city of Osh to the Tajik city of 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 huts smeared with manure, as well as past the Pamir National Park, over which Lenin Peak (7134 m) rises.

3) Atlantic Road (Norway)

The Atlantic Road (No 64) runs almost along the ocean itself, jumping from island to island using bridges and tunnels. This is a unique technological structure: there are as many as six bridges in the track with a length of only 8.5 kilometers! The main one is the Storseisundet bridge, which is also called the "Bridge to Heaven". If you approach it from the mainland, it seems as if the track bed 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 autumn, when the storm season begins: huge waves roll over small islands, crash with a crash on the pillars of the bridges, and sometimes cover the entire road, trying to lick the cars driving along it.

However, the Atlantic Road is only part of the fjord route. Moving along it further in the direction of Oslo, you will come to one of the most famous serpentines in Europe - climbing the slope of the mountain "Troll Ladder" (Trollstigen).

4) Route 40 (Argentina)

Route 40 (Ruta 40) crosses almost all of Argentina from north to south and runs along the high Andean ridges. This is one of the longest roads in the world - 5000 kilometers long! In doing so, they pass through several climatic zones. The landscape around is constantly changing: forests, rocks, lakes, fields, meadows, deserts, almost unpopulated pampas, asphalt and gravel, dust and red sand, sun and wind knocking down, 27 mountain passes, 18 large rivers, finally, 20 national parks, in each of which you can spend several days

A faithful iron horse and a flat strip of asphalt under the wheels - what else could 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 nature spreading on the sides and in front of it covers all the inconveniences from road irregularities.

You have probably seen a selection of the most beautiful roads in different countries of the world more than once and dreamed of riding them someday. 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 from the views of the landscapes surrounding these routes for the rest of your life.

1. Route M-18 "Kola"

Route R-21 (M-18) "Kola" originates in St. Petersburg and stretches to the village of Borisoglebskiy on the border with Norway. The further north the road goes, the more beautiful the landscape becomes: taiga with pines and spruces 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 A-135 Kem - Kalevala - Lonka road begins in the city of Kem, located on the shores 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 you absolutely cannot see oncoming traffic, and much more can be forgiven on this road, just by looking at the views of forest thickets and lakes.

3. Kalmykia. The road Volgograd - Elista - Stavropol

Everyone should take a look at this track. In the spring, in April - May, the lifeless steppe, stretching along the sides of the track (to be honest, in some places it is in a terrible state), literally transforms before our eyes and amazes with a riot of colors. The fantastically colored herb carpet fills the air with the scent of countless blooming tulips.

4. Western Caucasus. Route А-147

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 of Krasnodar Territory open up.

5. Georgian Military Highway A-161

The Heavenly Gorge Road, completed at the end of the 18th century, played an important role in the development of economic ties between Russia and the Caucasus. It runs through the Main Caucasian ridge and connects Vladikavkaz in North Ossetia with the capital and largest city of 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 A-158 "Baksan - Elbrus" road, if you haven’t been on it yet, will surely give you a lot of new impressions. The route crosses the Kabarda valley and goes along the narrow Baksan gorge. Then, having overcome the rise of almost 2.5 thousand meters, you will find yourself practically at the foot of the famous Elbrus volcano.

7. Northern Urals. Serov tract

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

8. Mountain Altai. Route M-52

Chuisky tract is the main transport artery of Altai and at the same time one of the most beautiful roads in Russia. The trail runs through the entire Altai Mountains, showing local landscapes in all their 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, from which 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 Usinskiy tract. The road runs through the pristine wild, practically untouched by man, the Sayan Mountains, in places going down 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 highways... The main Kamchatka route, 600 km long from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to Ust-Kamchatsk, runs next to Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the highest volcano in Eurasia (4750 m).

Every year the number of vehicles in the world is increasing, so travel 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 thickly green from the crowns of trees and shrubs, only in some places is the stone of sheer rocky ledges visible. Especially beautiful panoramas of the gorge can be seen from the old Cretan road, otherwise called the Cretan loop. It was laid back in ancient times along the northern slope of the gorge. The road itself is much longer - about 100 kilometers, but its most beautiful section is associated with the canyon.
Often this narrow winding road runs dangerously close to the cliff. It has specially equipped viewing platforms, which offer especially impressive views of Verdon. The Cretan Loop is a closed one-way road that travels in a clockwise direction. You can go from the city of Castellane, heading towards the Sainte-Croix reservoir.

2. Pamir Highway, Tajikistan / Kyrgyzstan

The amazingly beautiful Pamir Highway route stretches 720 kilometers, connecting the Tajik capital Dushanbe with the city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan. This old road appeared in the days of the Russian Empire, when it fought a bitter rivalry with the British Empire for control over 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-mountain Pamir passes - Kyzyl-Art, Taldyk, Akbaital, whose heights are in the range of 3615-4280 meters. And nowadays, the path along such a difficult track is very difficult, so only an experienced driver and a reliable car should go here, only then you can get pleasure from the route, and not a death certificate. By the way, there is no asphalt pavement for most of the road.
For those who dare to take 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 introduce you to the amazing and abandoned places of our planet. With the first eleven abandoned "ghost places ...

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, in aggregate, about 100 people live. The construction of this road in 1974 was designed by engineer Dalton, it was needed to connect with the Prudho area, where oil production began. 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 to repair a car or motorcycle. But if the traveler is experienced and well prepared, then he can get a generous portion of emotions from this harsh land.

4. Transfagarasi highway, Romania

This road passes through the territory of Transylvania and the Wallachia region. This mountain road, crossing 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 construction was also facilitated by the recent political collisions of 1968 in Czechoslovakia with the threat of a military invasion, 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 road is just over 260 kilometers long and winds through picturesque fields and valleys, in which peasants still harvest golden ears of wheat by hand. Then she runs past deep reservoirs and pristine lakes, old villages with rows of gray stone houses lined up along the road as if to welcome travelers. At the beginning of the trail there is an interesting in terms of architecture town of Sibiu, where you can see the features of the Roman, Romanesque and Slavic styles.

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

5. Atlantic Road, Norway

The peculiarity of the Atlantic Road, laid in the More og-Romsdal region, is that it jumps from island to island, soaring over the depths of the fjords and periodically turns into tunnels, then into bridges. The length of this miracle of technical thought is quite small - 8.5 kilometers, but there was enough room for 6 bridges. Particularly impressive is the crossing called the "bridge to heaven": approaching it from the mainland, it seems that at the top of the rise the path ends, and the traveler rushes in flight straight into the sky. Autumn trips leave completely different, but no less poignant impressions when storms rage below.

6. Great Gate Road, China

The Chinese are not only diligent and diligent workers, but also have a weakness for numerology and symbolism since ancient times. The Great Gate Road, laid in Hunan province, which is considered the steepest serpentine in the world, is also associated with numbers: with a modest length of only 11 kilometers, it makes 99 turns, climbing to a height of 1300 meters. For the Chinese, the number 9 is sacred, it was a sign of the emperor, and according to legends, 9 palaces awaited each who died in the afterlife. For this reason, the road was given such a sonorous name - "the road to heaven."
Especially noteworthy is the "Heavenly Gates" cave, which was formed once after a huge piece broke off the rock. The height of the vaults of the cave exceeds 130 meters, they are simply not visible in the cloud of fog. There is a legend that a traveler who has passed through the gates will find himself in heaven, but at first he will have a difficult path to the top.

7. Route 40, Argentina

Highway 40 crosses almost all of Argentina from north to south, along the eastern slopes of the Andes. Its length exceeds 5000 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 blowing down here, and the scorching South American sun serenely shines from above.
The road crosses 18 large rivers, 27 mountain passes, two dozen national parks - excellent parking spots. For example, in Los Glaciares Park there is a large Perito Moreno glacier, which contains huge reserves of fresh water. Its area is approximately comparable to the size of Buenos Aires, and it crawls at a speed of 2 meters per day. There are even observation platforms for observing the glacier. Another interesting place is the "Cave of Hands", in which primitive people painted the walls with scenes of hunting, 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 s ...

8. Great circle on the Colorado plateau, USA

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 had no time for them. Nowadays, a bus route has been organized here, which is called the "Tour in a large circle".
The most convenient way to start the journey is from Denver, from which you first ascend 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 journey, you can admire the famous Monument Valley, located in the Navajo lands, and the Park of Arches. Near the town of Page, on the side of the road, there is an inconspicuous shield indicating the direction towards Antelope Canyon, which is worth seeing. The Grand Canyon begins south of Page. If you drive along its southern side, then along with the panorama of the canyon, you will flicker a preserved section of the old Route 66, which crossed the entire United States from Los Angeles to Chicago.
Not far from the Grand Canyon, you can spend the night in a real ranch. The next day, you can drive along the Hoover Dam, a technological landmark of the 1930s, and from there the road to Las Vegas begins. Driving clockwise along the Great Circle, you can alternate between Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and Utah.

9. Great Ocean Road, Australia

Along the Australian Pacific coast in 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 fallen comrades. This largest and most unique 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 sea surf and bright glare of light reflected by the waters of the bays. There are many attractions along the way, for example, the "shipwreck coast", where the skeletons of 638 ships of various types rest. It is interesting to look at the solitary limestone rocks towering 45 meters above the water, which were named "Pig and Piglets", but then renamed into more decent and boring "12 Apostles" (despite the fact that there are only 8 of them). A similar story is at the "London Arch" rock, which for a long time was called "London Bridge" because it resembled the silhouette of Tower Bridge. However, in 1990, the waves washed out the span adjacent to the mainland, and instead of a bridge, an arch turned out. In general, rapid and unexpected changes are a "feature" of the Great Ocean Road, since the coastline, like a living organism, is constantly changing.

Natural reservoirs such as lakes are often extremely picturesque - the opposite shores are magnificently reflected in the calm stagnant water ...

10. Chuisky tract, Russia

The Chuisky tract stretches from Novosibirsk to the Mongolian border and is an element of the large Asian route AH4, 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 very diverse, but, having climbed high in the mountains, it is able to cause genuine delight in the traveler. When driving from Novosibirsk, the beauty of the road is gradually increasing. After the Novosibirsk region, the Altai Territory begins, here it still passes Biysk along the plain and then goes into the interior of Altai. Before entering the Altai Republic, one comes across the first important sight - 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 fast Katun River with magnificent rapids becomes the next road to the right. From here, you can see mountain peaks with dense vegetation and sheer cliffs.

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Just driving any road on our list is enough to have an amazing vacation! After all, along the way you can see beautiful places our planet and feel the spirit of life on wheels. You will never be able to forget these places. We are publishing an article about the most stunningly beautiful roads in the world.

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

The Grand Canyon, but not in the US? Rocky gorge, but not in the desert? Whatever the name of the Verdon Gorge, the fact remains - today it is the largest canyon in all of Europe: its length is 25 kilometers, and its 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, grazing only in front of the most steep cliffs. It will take a whole day to go around the gorge in a circle, although there is only a hundred kilometers. But they all consist entirely of bends, descents and ascents, man-made tunnels and passages under the rocks hanging overhead and hiding the sky.

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

Travelers are always attracted by places marked "the best": the northernmost point of Europe, the westernmost point of Russia, the highest mountain, the deepest depression. The Pamir Highway is one of such places. After all, it is the highest mountain road in the territory of the former USSR.
One of the most exciting stops along the way is the largest lake in Tajikistan, Karakul Lake, located at an altitude of 3914 meters above sea level. From here begins a steep ascent to the spurs of the Big Pamir. Rocks, gorges, tunnels, dirt road, dust, lack of vegetation, rare auls and flocks of sheep - such an almost Martian landscape stretches to the very descent into the valley on the Tajik side.

3. From north to south. USA: Dalton Highway

This is Alaska, gentlemen! A harsh and seemingly unfriendly land, which will give only a prepared and responsible traveler an unforgettable experience and discover its riches.
Alaska really has something to share: the largest US state is still almost not spoiled by civilization, on its territory there are 23 (!) national parks and the reserve. Through some of them: "White Mountains", the national wildlife reserve of the Arctic nature, reserves on the banks of the Yukon River, the "Gates of the Arctic" reserve - just the Dalton Highway passes, now getting lost in a flat snow-covered or grass-covered plain, now winding between the surrounding wooded mountains on all sides.

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

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 runs through picturesque valleys and fields of spiked wheat, which Romanians sometimes still harvest by hand, past lakes and reservoirs, through pretty Romanian villages with identical dark stone houses. Not far from the start of the highway, there is a pretty town of Sibiu with a classical Romanian architecture, where, like in the Romanian language, Latin, Romanesque and Slavic heritage is mixed.

5. The expanses of Altai. Russia: Chuysky tract

This ancient 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, with birch groves and villages, in one of which the writer Vasily Shukshin was born. And after a hundred kilometers, it is worth passing Gorno-Altaysk, it seems as if you are in the time of the development of Siberia: the stormy waters of the Katun, rocky gorges and green valleys. Mountain taiga begins.
If you turn left, you will get to Lake Teletskoye, to the right, to the foot of Belukha, where Roerich was looking for Shambhala on his way to the Himalayas. And if you drive straight all the time, you will see the Kuraiskaya steppe at the foot of the Severo-Chuisky ridge. If you wish, you can drive up a few kilometers and walk up to the eternal snow. In the Kurai steppe, there are the last islets of taiga, and already beyond the pass begins a real steppe, where nomadic yurts and camel caravans roam.

6. On a visit to the trolls. Norway: Atlantic Road

The Atlantic Road (No 64) runs almost along the ocean itself, jumping from island to island using bridges and tunnels. This is a unique technological structure: there are as many as six bridges in the track with a length of only 8.5 kilometers! The main one is the Storseisundet bridge, which is also called the "Bridge to Heaven". If you approach it from the mainland, it seems as if the track bed breaks off at the highest point and the traveler can only jump straight into the sky.
However, the Atlantic Road is only part of the fjord route. Moving along it further towards Oslo, you will come to one of the most famous serpentines in Europe - the Troll Ladder climbing the slope of the mountain. Mischievous trolls often hang their stairs with thick fog, but this makes the serpentine even more beautiful: gray stones and bizarre rocks appear through the "milk", densely overgrown with lush bright green grass and moss.

7. Stand above the clouds. China: Great Gateway Road

This road is one of the steepest serpentines in the world in every sense. She climbs Tianmen Mountain, which is 8 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie in southeast China. This asphalt belt, only 11 kilometers long, rises to the 1300-meter mark, making 99 turns along the way! For the Chinese, the number 9 is sacred: this is the number of the emperor, as well as the number of palaces, which, according to legend, await a person in heaven.
The main attraction of the route is the "Heavenly Gates" cave. It was formed in the 3rd 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 get to heaven.

8. Through the pampas. Argentina: Route 40

Route 40 (Ruta 40) crosses almost all of Argentina from north to south and runs along the high Andean ridges. This is one of the longest roads in the world: 5000 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 wind knocking down ...
In Los Glaciares Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, you can visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, home to the world's third largest freshwater reserve. Its area is quite comparable to the area of \u200b\u200ball 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 the observation platforms and by going for a walk right along the ice crumb accompanied by a climber.

9. Colorado Plateau. USA: Great Circle

The American Wild West is the area west of the Rocky Mountains. When the pioneers just started to explore the Indian territories, they stumbled upon unique natural attractions that they could not appreciate. Today this area is called the "Big Circle".
The most convenient way to go from Denver is to first climb to the Rocky Mountains National Park, where the Colorado River begins, and continue through Aspen to the Colorado Plateau. On the way, it is worth seeing the Arok Park and the famous Monument Valley in the Navajo Indians. Near the town of Page, you cannot miss the inconspicuous Antelope Canyon - on the side of the road there will be a simple wooden board with a corresponding inscription. Here it is worth going for a boat trip on Lake Powell, since you can rent a boat. The famous Grand Canyon begins just south of Page. If you go 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 from Chicago to Los Angeles.

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

The Great Ocean Road is 243 kilometers long and 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 war memorial in the world, and thirty years later it was recognized as one of the most picturesque on the planet. And not in vain: the route runs almost along the coast itself, from where you can see the endless expanses of water and quiet secluded lagoons. Among the main attractions on the way is the mysterious "Shipwreck Coast", which crashed 638 ships. And the "Twelve Apostles" - a group of limestone cliffs standing up to 45 meters high in the ocean. In fact, there are only eight rocks here, and until recently they were called nothing but "Pig and Piglets".

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

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

The Grand Canyon, but not in the US? Rocky gorge, but not in the desert? Whatever the name of the Verdon Gorge, the fact remains - today it is the largest canyon in all of Europe: its length is 25 kilometers, and its 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, grazing only in front of the most steep cliffs. It will take a whole day to go around the gorge in a circle, although there is only a hundred kilometers. But they all consist entirely of bends, descents and ascents, man-made tunnels and passages under the rocks hanging overhead and hiding the sky. The most beautiful views of the gorge open up from the old Cretan road, or the Crete 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 edge. There are viewing platforms along the edges, each of which offers breathtaking views of Verdon. The Cretan loop is considered one-way: you need to drive along it by car clockwise, starting from the town of Castellane towards the artificial lake Sainte-Croix, which was formed after the dam was built in 1975. You can swim in the lake and spend several contemplative hours under the shade of the trees with wine and crispy French baguette. The Luberon Nature Reserve is located 100 kilometers from Verdon Park. It is worth stopping by to admire the unhurried 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 "the best": the northernmost point of Europe, the westernmost point of Russia, the highest mountain, the deepest depression. The Pamir Highway is one of such places. After all, it is the highest mountain road in the territory of the former USSR. This almost completely unpaved 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 closest point to the "Roof of the World" point - Akbaital pass (4655 m). The eastern part of the tract - from the Kyrgyz city of Osh to the Tajik city of 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 huts smeared with manure, as well as past the Pamir National Park, over which Lenin Peak (7134 m) rises.

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

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

3. From north to south. USA: Dalton Highway

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 Prudhoe Bay and to service the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline. And the name was given in honor of engineer James Dalton, a specialist in Arctic construction. On a motorcycle or some overly voracious car, you need to get in here with caution: on the entire highway between Fairbanks, 100 kilometers from which it starts, and Deadhorse, where it ends, there are only two gas stations: at the crossing of the Yukon River 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 right away. Medical care can also be obtained only in Coldfoot or Deadhorse. This is Alaska, gentlemen! A harsh and seemingly unfriendly land, which will give only a prepared and responsible traveler an unforgettable experience and discover its riches. Alaska really has something to share: the largest US state is still almost not spoiled by civilization, on its territory there are 23 (!) National parks and reserves. Through some of them: "White Mountains", the national wildlife reserve of the Arctic nature, reserves on the banks of the Yukon River, the "Arctic Gate" reserve - just the Dalton Highway passes, now getting lost in a flat snow-covered or grass-covered plain, now winding between the surrounding wooded mountains on all sides. Another must-have ritual for all travelers on the highway is to take a picture in front of the sign for the Arctic Circle.

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

When he conceived the construction of an alpine highway through the Fagaras massif in 1970, Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu thought least of all about creating an attractive tourist route. Concerned 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 an inaccessible 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 runs through picturesque valleys and fields of spiked wheat, which Romanians sometimes still harvest by hand, past lakes and reservoirs, through pretty Romanian villages with identical dark stone houses. Not far from the start of the highway, there is a pretty town of Sibiu with a classical Romanian architecture, where, like in the Romanian language, Latin, Romanesque and Slavic heritage is mixed. Almost every village on the way has 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. Count Dracula is waiting for travelers on the Transylvanian side of the Carpathians. It is found everywhere: in the names of streets, restaurants and hotels, in souvenir shops, in ancient castles. One of them - Poenari Castle, towering over the canyon of the Arges River, in the 15th century belonged to Prince Vlad II Tepes, who became the prototype of the famous Dracula. Another is Bran Castle a little away from the Transfagarasian 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. The expanses of Altai. Russia: Chuysky tract

This ancient 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, with birch groves and villages, in one of which the writer Vasily Shukshin was born. And after a hundred kilometers, it is worth passing Gorno-Altaysk, it seems as if you are in the time of the development of Siberia: the stormy waters of the Katun, rocky gorges and green valleys. Mountain taiga begins. If you turn left, you will come to Lake Teletskoye, to the right, to the foot of Belukha, where Roerich was looking for Shambhala on his way to the Himalayas. And if you go straight all the time, you will see the Kuraiskaya steppe at the foot of the North Chuiskiy ridge. If you wish, you can drive up a few kilometers and walk up to the eternal snow. In the Kurai steppe, there are the last islets of taiga, and already beyond the pass begins a real steppe, where nomadic yurts and camel caravans roam. Such a trip should not be planned for a week, because each turn is a reason for a separate small trip. Mentions about the current Chuysky tract, formerly called the Mungalsky, can be found in Chinese sources a thousand years ago. From then until the beginning of the 20th century, it was just a mountain trail used by merchants and pilgrims who walked 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 Chuisky tract is one of the few roads in the world that has been awarded its own museum. It is located in the Biysk building local history museum - here you can see archival documents and photographs, a volumetric model of the road, paintings and dioramas.

6. On a visit to the trolls. Norway: Atlantic Road

The Atlantic Road (No 64) runs almost along the ocean itself, jumping from island to island using bridges and tunnels. This is a unique technological structure: there are as many as six bridges in the track with a length of only 8.5 kilometers! The main one is the Storseisundet bridge, which is also called the "Bridge to Heaven". If you approach it from the mainland, it seems as if the track bed 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 autumn, when the storm season begins: huge waves roll over small islands, crash with a crash on the pillars of bridges, and sometimes cover the entire road, trying to lick off the cars driving along it. However, the Atlantic Road is only part of the fjord route. Moving along it further in the direction of Oslo, you will come to one of the most famous serpentines in Europe - climbing the slope of the mountain "Troll Ladder" (Trollstigen). Mischievous trolls often hang their stairs with a thick fog, but this makes the serpentine even more beautiful: gray stones and bizarre rocks appear through the "milk", densely overgrown with juicy bright green grass and moss. At the top of the mountain, visibility sometimes drops to 3-5 meters: the more curious it is to look at the sheep suddenly appearing from the fog, black lakes and numerous cairns made of stones by tourists, and maybe even by the trolls themselves ... If you drive even further along Route 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 the area.

7. Stand above the clouds. China: Great Gateway Road

The Chinese are famous not only for their hard work and perseverance (which is only the Great Wall of China!), 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 simply drive along the "Road of the Great Gate". The fact is that this road is one of the steepest serpentines in the world in every sense. She climbs Tianmen Mountain, which is 8 kilometers from the city of Zhangjiajie in southeast China. This asphalt belt, only 11 kilometers long, rises to the 1300 meter mark, making 99 turns along the way! For the Chinese, the number 9 is sacred: this is the number of the emperor, as well as the number of palaces, which, according to legend, await a person in heaven. That is why the road to Tianmen is also called the “Road to Heaven”.

Age / East News Traditional boats are still a popular means of transportation in China.

The main attraction of the route is the "Heavenly Gates" cave. It was formed in the 3rd 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 get to heaven. But to earn this right, you have to work hard. There are several ways to climb to the cave. The easiest one is to drive a car or a tourist bus, the more extreme one is to make an “express climb” in a sports car with a professional race car driver behind the wheel, and the most difficult one is to climb an impressive staircase with 999 steps. If you want a truly exciting experience, you should climb to the top on the world's longest funicular (7455 meters!) - from its windows you can see views of the entire winding line of the road.

8. Through the pampas. Argentina: Route 40

Route 40 (Ruta 40) crosses almost all of Argentina from north to south and runs along the high Andean ridges. This is one of the longest roads in the world: 5000 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 wind knocking down, 27 mountain passes, 18 large rivers, finally, 20 national parks, in each of which you can spend several days. For example, in Los Glaciares Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, you can visit the Perito Moreno Glacier, which is home to the third largest fresh water supply in the world. Its area is quite comparable to the area of \u200b\u200ball 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 the observation platforms and by going for a walk right along the ice crumb accompanied by a climber. The same road will lead to the famous “Cueva de las Manos”, where all the walls are covered with prints of human hands and images of hunting scenes, the oldest of which date back to the ninth millennium BC. The second largest deserves special attention national park Argentina - Calchaqi Walley, where you can get from the mountain deserts to the subtropical forest in one day - the climate changes dramatically on one relatively small plot of land. And, of course, it is worth driving along Ruta 40 to be impressed by the "Martian" landscapes of the deserts and to see the flamingos living on the lakes of Patagonia.

9. Colorado Plateau. USA: Great Circle

The American Wild West is located west of the Rocky Mountains. When the pioneers just started to explore the Indian territories, they stumbled upon unique natural attractions that they could not appreciate. Today this area is called the "Grand Circle" (Grand Circle). The name comes from the bus tour, which was called the Grand Circle Tour. The most convenient way to go from Denver is to first go up to the Rocky Mountains National Park, where the Colorado River begins, and continue through Aspen to the Colorado Plateau. On the way, it is worth seeing Arches Park (arches.national-park.com) and the famous Navajo Monument Valley. Near the town of Page, you cannot miss the inconspicuous Antelope Canyon - on the side of the road there will be a simple wooden board with a corresponding inscription. Here it is worth going for a boat trip on Lake Powell, since you can rent a boat. The famous Grand Canyon (grandcanyon.com) begins just south of Page. If you go 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 back towards the Grand Canyon and living on a real ranch (grandcanyonranch.com). And only then go to the Hoover Dam - a giant monument of the 30s of the last century, from where the direct route to Las Vegas begins. This will take you across the Great Circle from east to west, visiting four states — Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. You cannot 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 come back here again.

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

The Great Ocean Road is 243 kilometers long and 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 war memorial in the world, and thirty years later it was recognized as one of the most picturesque on the planet. And not in vain: the route runs almost along the coast itself, from where you can see the endless expanses of water and quiet secluded lagoons. Among the main attractions on the way - the mysterious "Shipwreck Coast", which crashed 638 ships. And the "Twelve Apostles" - a group of limestone cliffs standing up to 45 meters high in the ocean. In fact, there are only eight rocks here, and until recently they were called nothing but "Pig and Piglets". The poetic name "Twelve Apostles" appeared simply to attract tourists. Another rock, about 20 million years old, has a similar story, the London Arch. For a long time it bore the name "London Bridge" for its amazing resemblance to 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 may not see what it was today. It is worth driving here not only to admire the scenery, lie on the beach or conquer the wave. This is also an Australian safari route: in Warrnambula you can observe the migration of right whales, and in the Tower Hill Game Reserve you can walk with kangaroos and emus and see koalas and seabirds.