Stelvio Pass Road - redefining switchbacks
Height - 2757 meters
Claim to fame - "the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, after the Col de l'Iseran (2770 m)"
This road might not be as risky as the deadly routes in Bolivia, but it is certainly breathtaking. With 48 hairpins, this road is regarded as one of the finest continuous hairpin routes in the Alps.
Grimsel Pass near Gletsch, Switzerland. Furka pass is also visible in the upper left of the picture.
Old road over Saint Gothard Pass, Switzerland - still open to the public.
Italian Alps are rife with exhilarating switchback roads. Here is one at Fraele, near Isolaccia in Lombardy.
The Italian side of the Splugen Pass, with breathtaking vertical grades at every turn.
Slovenian Mountain Roads are even narrower, and less maintained, but no less spectacular.
Fascinating Fjord Roads in NorwayWe all know that the steep walls of fjords command an awesome view, like the one below. But when living in small towns and villages in the fjord country, you will need to use a car to get some groceries. This would mean driving on vertigo-inducing roads, honing your driving skills to perfection.
Trollstigen - the Troll LadderHordes of tourists, however, brave the 9 percent incline in their family sedans - to see a beautiful waterfall and an awesome view from the top.
Another Fjord Jewel - Lysebotn Road
This is the Lysebotn Road in Lysefjord, Norway - complete with 27 switchbacks and a 1.1 kilometer long tunnel at the bottom, also with three switchbacks inside.
This is the view 900 meters down, once you get on top:
