A curvy road with 75 hairpin turns to Col de la Lombarde
France, europe
41.6 km
2,354 m
extreme
Year-round
# Col de la Lombarde-Colle della Lombarda
Ever dreamed of conquering a legendary Alpine pass? Welcome to Col de la Lombarde-Colle della Lombarda, sitting pretty at 2,354m (7,723ft) on the Italy-France border. This beast connects southeastern France's Alpes-Maritimes with Italy's Cuneo Province in Piedmont, and trust us—it's absolutely worth the detour.
Perched high above the Isola 2000 ski resort, this fully paved road is a thrilling roller coaster of 75 hairpin turns that'll keep your hands glued to the steering wheel. The French call it M97; the Italians know it as Strada Provinciale 255 (SP255). Built in 1971, it's typically open to traffic only during the summer months.
The full 41.6 km (25.84 miles) stretch from Isola in France to Vinadio in Italy is a white-knuckle adventure that usually takes between 1 to 1.5 hours to drive. Some sections climb at a gnarly 17% gradient, so this isn't for the faint of heart. But here's the payoff: absolutely breathtaking Alpine views at every turn, plus historical WWII ruins—blockhouses and barracks—scattered near the summit. There's a small parking lot at the top where you can catch your breath and celebrate.
Fun fact: the Tour de France didn't tackle this beast until 2008, proving that some roads are just too epic to ignore. Ready for the challenge?
Where is it?
A curvy road with 75 hairpin turns to Col de la Lombarde is located in France (europe). Coordinates: 47.1015, 2.8054
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 41.6 km
- Max Elevation
- 2,354 m
- Difficulty
- extreme
- Coordinates
- 47.1015, 2.8054
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