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In a lifetime of travel, you most likely have a list of your preferred sights along with “must do” trips. Here, we will share with you 5 of Eastern Europe’s most spectacular roads. If you’re traveling to Eastern Europe, be sure to check out the roads featured here.

Now, it is important to note that not all of these roads are intended to be for luxury trips or even heels strolling. However, it is highly likely that you can attempt a mini off-road challenge in an amazing trip moving onto some of your dream locations.

1.  Adriatic Highway, Croatia

You simply have to see the Adriatic Highway, which is also known as ‘Jadranska magistrala’ in Croatian, to believe it. It is part of the European route E65 and runs along the Adriatic Sea’s east coast. The road passes through 3 countries: It starts at the Slovenian-Croatian border, then narrowly passes through Neum in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and then stretches up to Ulcinj in Montenegro.

Still, the longest section of the road can be found in Croatia, starting from Rijeka in the north to Dubrovnik in the south. If you check the roadmap, you will instantly realize that this asphalt road will gift you one of the world’s best coastal drives: islands on the horizon, crystal-clear water, lovely beaches, stunning views, magnificent towns – you can meet all these beauties while driving on the Adriatic Highway.

The route is actually not easy since it has numerous twists and turns. The drive is definitely long, but confident drivers with properly equipped vehicles will simply have to gain from this amazing experience. You should definitely stop at the Makarska River along the way to take in the panorama that’s a combination of coastal mountains with sunny beaches and hidden bays.

Take a rest in Hvar, which is famously known for its fields of lavender. The towns of Dubrovnik, Split, as well as the historic Trogir, on the other hand, are guaranteed to provide you with an impressive cultural experience. At the end of the Adriatic highway, you can bet that all you will want to do is turn around and do it all again.

2.  Road to Yakutsk in Russia

The Road to Yakutsk in Russia is definitely not a road for a fun, comfortable trip. Instead, it is a road for risky driving situations and adventures. It provides the perfect challenge for your new 4 x 4 crossover. The road has famous off-road challenges.

The road doesn’t just connect Moscow to Yakutsk. It is also the place where the lowest temperatures ever outside Antarctica have ever been recorded. The story of Yakutsk, which is the biggest city built on continuous permafrost, however, is a more appealing story.

The road was actually cataloged as one of history’s most dangerous roads since it was used in World War II for blocking traffic and keeping the Germans out. You must be crazy to try passing this road in the summer. You will need to play a long-term survival game due to the Siberian mud pirates.

So, you may want to keep in mind if you travel here in the winter, which lasts 10 months here. In winter, everything is not only icy but also very slippery. In fact, there’s a running joke in Russia about the road being a picnic during winter compared to attempting to navigate the Russian Federal Highway during summer.

3.  The Transalpina Road, Romania

The Transalpina Road is located in the Southern Carpathians in Romania in the Parâng Mountains group. It is not only one of the highest roads of the Carpathian Mountains but also Romania’s highest road. At its highest elevation point at the Urdele Pass, the road is at an altitude of 2,145 meters above sea level.

The road is 146 km in length and passes the Carpathian Mountains from Oltenia to Transylvania, Dracula’s land. King Carol II ordered the road and the locals named it “the King’s Road”. In 1938, the road was opened, inaugurated in Poiana Sibiu and rebuilt for military purposes during World War II.

The transformation of the Transalpina Road began in 2007. The authorities were looking to make it a modern highway and it was completely paved.

The road is one of Eastern Europe’s best and most spectacular roads. It remains closed during winter and only opens in spring where it offers you the great sight of a mountainous region surrounded on all sides by nature.

Transalpina is a famous road that really attracts a high number of tourists from throughout the world. So, if you plan to visit this road, you will have a unique experience and perhaps you will make new friends equally passionate about tourism and trips.Obviously, international travel insurance on such trips is a must for your own safety.

4.  The Road from Ioannina to Meteora, Greece 

Greece can be presented not just as a destination that has a rich history and amazing beaches, but also with scenic drives. You can experience one of the most spectacular drives in the country’s north: from the lakeside town of Ioannina, the capital of Epirus, to the impressive Meteora that’s known for its jaw-dropping nature and monasteries.

The road will take you through the mountains and over a high pass that’s usually closed in winter. It will amaze you with the monasteries sitting atop the eroded sandstone towers. You will come across 24 such monasteries on your route, but you are only able to stop and visit just 6 of them.

If you are unable to visit the exhibitions due to time constraints, you should at least visit the Great Meteoron Monastery – it’s the largest, tallest, and oldest among all of the monasteries, showcasing religious artifacts along with other things of great importance.

Watching the sunset on the background of the scenic view that the road from Ioannina to Meteora provides, you will start to understand why you have come back to Greece.

5.  The Transfagarasan, Romania

The Transfagarasan is a highly reputed road found in all Eastern European travel guides. It was built in 1974 and has a well-known history in tourism. The Top Gear crew filmed here in 2009 and the road made history, making Jeremy Clarkson say that it is “The world’s best road”.

The road was built in the communist era as a strategic military route and has 90 km of twists and turns, steep drops, climbs, as well as a total length of 151 km. It climbs up to 2042 meters altitude and is Romania’s second highest paved road after Transalpina.

The Transfagarasan connects the historic region of Wallachia with Transylvania, and crosses the Făgăraș Mountains, which is the highest group of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. The area is full of beautiful sights and close to Transfagarasan you will find Vidraru dam and lake, Bâlea Lake, as well as the Monastery Curtea de Arges. You will also find the Poenari medieval fortress here.

If you ever visit Romania, this is one spot you definitely shouldn’t miss.