Oulles

Oulles

France, europe

Length

6.5 km

Elevation

1,483 m

Difficulty

extreme

Best Season

Year-round

Ever heard of Oulles? It's this tiny mountain village clinging to the Taillefer massif in the French Alps, and with only a handful of residents, it's officially the smallest in the area! Getting there is an adventure in itself.

Forget highways, you'll be snaking up 6.5 kilometers of the D221, a crazy road carved into the rockface. Imagine hairpin after hairpin – twelve in total! This road wasn't even around until the '60s; before that, it was just mule trails. Talk about remote!

Be prepared for a workout – this climb gains a whopping 767 meters in elevation. We're talking an average gradient of almost 12%, with some sections hitting over 13%. But trust me, the views are worth it. Picture this: smooth asphalt, switchbacks hugging a cliff edge, and hardly any other cars around. It's an incredible drive to a village that time forgot, a place where they mined silver lead for centuries!

Share this road

Road Details

Country
France
Continent
europe
Length
6.5 km
Max Elevation
1,483 m
Difficulty
extreme

Related Roads in europe

Is the road through Karabet Geçidi paved?moderate

Is the road through Karabet Geçidi paved?

🇹🇷 Turkey

Okay, buckle up, road trip lovers! Let's talk about the Karabet Geçidi, a seriously high mountain pass tucked away in Turkey's Van Province. We're talking almost 10,000 feet (2,994m) above sea level, making it one of the highest drives in the country! The road itself, the Bahcesaray-Catak road (also known as Krapet Geçidi), is a smooth, paved beauty. But don't get too comfortable – you'll be twisting and turning through a whole heap of hairpin bends for about 26.5 miles (42.7 km) as you climb from Bahçesaray towards Gevaş Çatak Yolu Road. Now, the lowdown: This pass is usually open year-round, but keep an eye on the weather forecast, especially in winter. This area gets hammered with snow, and short-term closures are pretty common. But hey, if you time it right, spring brings a crazy explosion of wildflowers. Locals say that for half the year, these mountains "belong to God"! Pretty epic, right?

Zlate Navrsi is a steep paved climb in the Czech Republicmoderate

Zlate Navrsi is a steep paved climb in the Czech Republic

🌍 Czech Republic

Okay, picture this: you're in the Czech Republic, smack dab in the middle of Krkonoše National Park, near the Polish border. You're heading towards Zlaté Návrší, a mountain peak that tops out at 1,391 meters (4,563 feet). The road up? Totally paved, though the pavement gets a little rough as you climb higher. Trust me, it's worth it. This road winds 10.6 kilometers (6.58 miles) from Vítkovice, climbing 760 meters, so get ready for a solid 7.16% average grade. Keep in mind, though, the road is closed to private vehicles, and snow makes it impassable during winter. But when it's open, the views are incredible! You're high in the Krkonoše mountains, part of the Sudetes range, so expect scenery that will blow your mind.

Panta de Cavallers: a steep paved road to the reservoirhard

Panta de Cavallers: a steep paved road to the reservoir

🇪🇸 Spain

Pantà de Cavallers is a stunning high mountain reservoir perched at 1,770m (5,807ft) in the Lleida province of Catalonia, Spain. This gem sits in the northeastern part of the country, nestled in the beautiful Boi valley within the Aiguestortes i Estany of Saint Maurici National Park. The reservoir was built back in 1958, and there's a small parking area right at the dam. Getting here is definitely an adventure. The road—also called Estanys de Tor—is the L-500, and while it's fully paved, don't let that fool you. It's seriously narrow—so tight that two average cars literally cannot pass each other. You'll be navigating through endless curves and hairpin turns, so honest warning: reversing skills are pretty much essential. If you're not comfortable backing up on a mountain road, this isn't the drive for you. Starting from Caldes de Boí, you're looking at a 4.6 km (2.85 miles) climb with 7 hairpin turns to tackle. You'll gain 299 meters in elevation, averaging a 6.5% gradient with some sections hitting 10%. The good news? The road stays open year-round, though winter weather can occasionally force temporary closures. Pick a good weather day, take your time through those curves, and you'll be rewarded with an unforgettable mountain experience.

Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is a scenic drive in Norwayhard

Gamle Strynefjellsvegen is a scenic drive in Norway

🇳🇴 Norway

# Gamle Strynefjellsvegen: A Step Back in Time on Norway's Most Charming Mountain Road Picture this: a 27-kilometer ribbon of road winding through the Norwegian mountains, basically unchanged since 1894. Welcome to Gamle Strynefjellsvegen—or as locals call it, the Old Strynefjell Mountain Road—where you'll feel like you've stepped straight into the late 1800s. Straddling Innlandet and Vestland counties in western Norway, this National Tourist Route runs from Videseter to Grotli and is an absolute must for anyone craving a road trip with serious character. The first 10 km are paved, but then things get properly adventurous: the final 17 km turn into gravel. Pro tip—if conditions look sketchy where the road transitions (marked by a stone near Langvatnet lake), you can always bail and take the modern highway instead. The gravel is a dream when dry but gets genuinely slippery when wet. Fair warning: this road demands respect. It's narrow in spots (think 3.5–4.5 meters), twisty, and downright tight for anything longer than 8 meters. Cresting at 1,139 meters above sea level, it's typically closed from late autumn through May—when it opens again in June, you're in for a treat. The scenery is absolutely stunning. You'll cruise along pristine lakes, spot the Tystigbreen glacier hanging nearby, and witness nature's wild mood swings—smooth, glacier-polished valleys giving way to dramatic, jagged peaks. It's perfect for cycling and hiking, with endless mountain walking opportunities in summer and early autumn. The history alone is worth the drive. Hand-built in 1894 by Swedish workers and local laborers, this road was a genuine engineering marvel. Even cooler? Until the 1950s, 200 men with shovels manually cleared the winter snow. These days, snowplows handle it in just days.