Where is Strada Provinciale 97 di Racollo?

Where is Strada Provinciale 97 di Racollo?

Italy, europe

Length

13.2 km

Elevation

1,636 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

Okay, picture this: you're carving through the Italian countryside in the southern part of Italy, inside Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga. You're on Strada Provinciale 97 di Racollo, a totally sweet escape for anyone who loves to drive. Think twisting curves, some seriously tight hairpin turns, and just enough straightaways to catch your breath. It's mostly empty too, so you'll have the road to yourself!

This baby climbs up to 1,636m (5,367ft) offering unreal views as you go. It's 13.2km (8.2 miles) of pure driving bliss, winding from Santo Stefano di Sessanio to Strada Statale 17bis (SS17bis).

The road isn't perfect (a few spots are a little rough), but the views more than make up for it. The scenery of the surrounding landscape and mountains is breathtaking, especially from the top. You can even see the picturesque Lago Racollo from the highest point! Just a heads-up: this is the Abruzzo mountain range, which means heavy snowfall in winter, so keep that in mind when planning your trip!

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Road Details

Country
Italy
Continent
europe
Length
13.2 km
Max Elevation
1,636 m
Difficulty
hard

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