Roads
Forgotten Roads Through The Mountains
The Transfăgărășan was built by Nicolae Ceaușescu in the early 1970s as a militarised escape route across the Făgăraș mountains in case of a Soviet invasion. It is 90 km of switchbacks rising to 2,042 m at Bâlea Lake, snowed shut from late October to June, and according to Jeremy Clarkson 'the best driving road in the world'. He was selling cars at the time; he was also probably right.
These eight roads — three European, three Asian, one Andean, one African — were built for reasons that no longer apply: medieval salt trade, Cold War paranoia, colonial freight. They survive as the rarest of infrastructures: roads where the journey is the destination.
We give the dates the snow gates open, the side road you should not miss, and where to sleep at the high point.
Late afternoon light, looking east. Photo by our regional correspondent.
Why This Place Matters
The Karakoram Highway (China–Pakistan) climbs to the Khunjerab Pass at 4,693 m and is the highest paved international border crossing on Earth. The Pakistani side runs through Hunza Valley with view of Rakaposhi (7,788 m) for 40 km.
The Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps (2,757 m) was built by the Austrian Empire in 1820–25 with 48 hairpin bends on its north side. It's open roughly June 1 to early November.
The Tizi n'Tichka pass in Morocco (2,260 m) connects Marrakech to the Sahara via Telouet and the Atlas Mountains; the original 1930s French colonial road still exists in parallel to the new tunnel route.
A Short History
The Transfăgărășan cost 38 lives during construction. Sections were blasted by army engineers using 6,000 tonnes of dynamite. Ceaușescu opened it in September 1974; the road was kept under-resourced afterwards so few civilians could enjoy it.
The Karakoram Highway took 20 years (1959–1979) to build and cost the lives of 810 Pakistani and 200 Chinese workers, mostly to rockfalls. It follows the route of the Silk Road and is sometimes called the Eighth Wonder of the World.
Romania's Transalpina (DN67C), often forgotten in favor of the Transfăgărășan, is older (medieval shepherd track, paved 1934–1939) and higher (2,145 m at Urdele Pass), but lacks Clarkson's endorsement.
What You Will Actually See
Transfăgărășan (DN7C), Romania — Bâlea Lake (cable car or drive in summer), Vidraru Dam (160 m), and Poenari Citadel, the actual castle of Vlad the Impaler (1,480 steps up).
Stelvio Pass, Italy — drive from Prato allo Stelvio at dawn (light hits the snowfields by 7 am), eat at Rifugio Garibaldi at the summit, descend via the Umbrail Pass into Switzerland for variety.
Karakoram Highway (Pakistan section) — Hunza Valley with Karimabad as base, the 7th-century Baltit Fort, Attabad Lake (formed by 2010 landslide), and Khunjerab Pass.
Tizi n'Tichka, Morocco — Telouet Kasbah (the Glaoui family's pasha palace, half-ruined), Aït Benhaddou (UNESCO mud-brick ksar used in Gladiator), and the Argan oil cooperatives on the descent.
Trollstigen, Norway (Troll's Path) — 11 hairpins, 12% gradient, snow gates close November to May.
Transalpina (DN67C), Romania — quieter than Transfăgărășan, higher altitude, no Communist-era construction stories.
Sani Pass, Lesotho/South Africa — 4×4 only, 2,876 m, ends at the Sani Mountain Lodge, 'Africa's highest pub'.
Yungas Road, Bolivia (the old route) — 64 km from La Paz to Coroico, gravel, no guardrails, now cyclist-only after the new highway opened. Book with Gravity Bolivia.
The kind of detail you only notice on the second visit.
Interesting Facts
A few quick notes on forgotten roads through the mountains before the section below.
These are the details our correspondents most often get asked about by readers planning a trip.
Practical Information
Transfăgărășan: open July 1 to October 31 (sometimes shorter). Drive south-to-north for the dramatic reveal of Bâlea Lake. Stay at Cabana Bâlea Cascadă at the base of the cable car.
Stelvio: avoid weekends in August (Italian motorcyclists). Park at the summit (€5) and walk to the Tibet Hütte for a Williamsbirne schnapps.
Karakoram: requires Pakistan visa + Khunjerab NOC permit (issued in Sost). Drive Gilgit → Sost → Khunjerab over 2 days. Hashoo Foundation rest houses in Karimabad and Sost.
Tizi n'Tichka: 4 hours Marrakech → Ouarzazate; the new tunnel speeds the route but you should exit at Aguelmous to follow the old road through Telouet (extra 1.5 hours, worth it).
Interesting Facts
- The Transfăgărășan rises 2,042 m at its highest point, has 27 viaducts, 838 small bridges, and a 884 m tunnel beneath the Paltinu ridge.
- The Karakoram Highway crosses the Khunjerab Pass at 4,693 m, the highest paved international border crossing in the world.
- Stelvio Pass's 48 numbered hairpin bends on the northern descent are signed with metal plates from #1 at the top down to #48.
- Trollstigen's name 'Troll's Path' refers to local folklore that the path was carved by trolls fleeing the rising sun before they turned to stone.
- Bolivia's old Yungas Road claimed an estimated 200–300 lives per year before its replacement opened in 2006, earning it the nickname 'Death Road'.
Most travellers walk straight past this corner. Stop and look up.
How To Visit
Sibiu → Transfăgărășan: rent a car in Sibiu (1.5-hour drive south). Avoid weekends in July when Romanian families crowd it.
Bormio → Stelvio: 90-min drive up via SS38; from Switzerland, the Umbrail Pass meets the Stelvio at the summit for a loop.
Islamabad → Karakoram: domestic flight to Gilgit (1h, weather-dependent), then jeep north through Hunza.
Marrakech → Tichka: hire a car at the airport; the road is signed N9 throughout.
Final Thoughts
Drive these slowly. Stop at the unmarked pullouts. The Karakoram has roadside dhabas (Pakistan tea stalls) where a cup costs 100 PKR and the view costs nothing.
Snow chains are not optional on Stelvio and Trollstigen even in late September. Check pass status the night before.
Of the eight: if you can only drive one, the Transfăgărășan between mid-September and October 25 — empty road, larch trees turning yellow, and the cable car still running.
If you read this article and noticed something we got wrong, please write to us. Reader corrections shape what we publish next.
Inara Korhonen
Regional correspondent for WIGO Trips. Writes about overlooked places and quiet histories.
