The place in Romania included in a top of the most beautiful driving routes: “We didn't expect to see bears taking pictures”
A mountain route from Romania has arrived alongside famous destinations from Norway, Iceland, Ireland or Germany, in a ranking of the most loved road trips in Europe, made by The Guardian.
“An unbroken gray ribbon of automotive perfection.” This is how the Transfăgărășan road in Romania is described by one of the readers of the British publication, in the review that propelled the local route to this top.
Entitled “Cu ursii la régite în România” – a translation adapted from the English pun “Bear right in Romania” (which means both “Turn right” and “Bear right in Romania”), the fragment describes a thrilling route, with climbs over the mountain and turns, remembering that the road is the second highest in Romania, after the Transalpina.
“Although we had been told that it was possible to see bears, we did not expect to see them right on the side of the road, one of them hanging on a stone wall and posing for photos, taken through the car window,” writes the author of the review.
The reader also says that this stretch of road to Bâlea Lake is particularly beautiful, although it remains open only for a few months in the summer due to the harsh winters in the southern Carpathian Mountains.
The Transfagăraşan became famous worldwide in 2009, after the makers of the famous British show Top Gear filmed it and officially declared it the best road in the world.
Despite the popularity of the route, the Romanian authorities drew attention to the fact that approaching animals involves major risks. In the first two weeks of June 2026 alone, nine people were attacked by bears on Transfăgărășan, including foreign tourists, after they approached for photos or tried to feed the animals.
What other destinations are in the top
In addition to the route from Romania, the list made by The Guardian also includes road trips from Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Scotland, Germany and Italy.
In Ireland, a reader tells of having walked 1,600 km around the island. For him, “the scenery was incredibly varied”, the most memorable points being the Ring of Kerry peninsula, the karst landscape of the Burren and the wild beaches of Glassilaun.
The route in Norway starts in Bergen and includes “snakes, waterfalls and a thrilling descent”. The route also includes a detour to Flam for a sauna, but also a stop on the coast for fishing.
In Iceland, a trip on the Ring Road was described in another testimonial as “the most exciting” of all driving holidays. The Guardian reader mentions that although the country is expensive, the opportunity to watch whales and swim in geothermal baths “made it all worth the effort”.
For Scotland, another travel enthusiast drove leisurely to Orkney. The account states that “the spectacular coastline of Caithness was the main attraction”, with Dunnet Head, the most northerly point of mainland Britain, being mentioned in particular.
Another recommendation describes the “Romantic Road” in Bavaria (Germany), a 460 km route through picturesque medieval towns. Notable attractions include Noerdlingen's clock tower and the 'fairy tale castle Schloss Neuschwanstein'.
The selection ends in Italy with the Sagittario Valley in Abruzzo, considered a glimpse into the “wild heart of Italy”. The road passes through historic villages and mountain pastures.
