Ceaușescu built this over the Făgăraș mountains as a military route; what he actually created was ninety kilometres of switchbacks that drone footage was invented for. The northern approach below Bâlea Lake is the iconic stretch — pull over at the viewpoints and just stare. It typically opens only from late June to October, so check status before travelling, and go early: weekend traffic from Bucharest turns hairpins into car parks.
Featured in Ten jaw-dropping mountain roads and passes to drive · Mountain
Built over the Carpathians as a Cold War statement, the Transfăgărășan ladders up through ninety hairpins to a glacial lake at two thousand metres, then plunges past waterfalls towards a castle linked to Dracula. It's open roughly July to October and ranks among the world's great driving roads. Combine with Transylvania's fortified villages for a week that feels like fiction.
Featured in Ten epic road trips for your someday list · Adventure