
Col de la Serena
France, europe
5.3 km
1.12 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: you're cruising through the Alpes-Maritimes in southeastern France, ready for an adventure. You stumble upon Col de la Serena, a mountain pass soaring to 4,274 feet. Buckle up, because this road is NARROW. Like, seriously narrow. If you're not comfortable with tight squeezes and reversing, maybe skip this one.
The road to the top is a twisty, turny maze that'll challenge even seasoned drivers. But the views? Totally worth it! And at the summit, you'll find Ouvrage La Séréna, an old military fortress that's part of the Maginot Line. History and scenery? Yes, please!
Now, let's be real, this isn't a Sunday drive. It's a constant up, down, right, left kind of experience. Starting in La Roche (at 1,120m), you've got a 5.3 km climb ahead of you to gain 183 meters of elevation. That's an average gradient of 3.45%. Word to the wise: if you're new to this route, avoid it at night or in bad weather. Trust me on this one!
Road Details
- Country
- France
- Continent
- europe
- Length
- 5.3 km
- Max Elevation
- 1.12 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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