5. Transfagarasan Road, Romania, Europe
Otherwise known as National Road 7C, this insanely bendy and winding snake-like pass over the Carpathian Mountains of Romania is arguably one of the best known stretches of asphalt in this part of Europe, not to mention among other, equally mind-blowing iconic roads around the world. Rising to a height of 2,134 meters (7,001 feet), it is a sight to see, not to mention being a challenge for even the best drivers out there.
The speed limit is 40 kilometers per hour (24 miles per hour), and the route is often closed between October and June because of snow blocking the road. Built between 1970 and 1974 by the Romanian military, it was designed as a strategic military route that would enable the army to cross the mountains in the event of a Soviet invasion (like the one in Czechoslovakia in 1968). Running through the Arges River gorge, it traverses Poenari Castle, once owned by the notorious Vlad III The Impaler.
