Europe's most beautiful motorcycle routes

What was once a military road along the French-Italian border in the Maritime Alps is now the stuff of legend among adventurous bikers. It's also called the Via del Sale. Most of this 63-kilometer (49-mile) gravel trail is at elevations above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet). Narrow and stony, it can be a challenge — especially after rain. It's best to ride with a well-equipped group.

Norway has many impressive panoramic roads like Gamle Strynefjellsvegen (pictured). But the winding coastal route (Kystriksveien) — now officially County Highway (Fylkesvei) 17 — is even more special. It takes bikers some 650 kilometers (400 miles) along the fjords of the North Sea, often via ferry. It's a leisurely route with some narrow stretches that are ideal for cruisers.

The largely German-speaking autonomous province of South Tyrol offers adventurous hairpin bends and passes. Strada Statale 38 is a road that takes travelers over one of the most popular: Stelvio Pass, or Stilfser Joch in German. The northeastern ramp to the 2,757-meter high pass consists of 48 numbered curves and demands plenty of skill from heavily-loaded motorcyclists.

The 430-kilometer-long mountain range between France and Spain doesn't just offer breathtaking views like this one at Col d'Aspin (elevation: 1,489 meters). There are winding roads cut into the rocks, challenging gravel tracks and small waterfalls under which the roads run. Buildings of historical interest add to the attraction of the region's diverse flora and fauna.

The Romanian Carpathians are almost an insiders' tip for bikers from Western Europe. Romania still attracts visitors with low prices and great hospitality, few prohibition signs and plenty of nature. That might change, though, because asphalt is being increasingly poured over the dirt roads of the past to literally pave the way for mass tourism.

Electric motorcycles also roll through Germany's most northerly low mountain range - certainly to the relief of local residents, because the din of high-powered combustion engines is unavoidable almost every weekend in the season. The region offers beginners winding country roads with moderate changes in elevation. The tarmac in the eastern Harz is very good, and speed cameras are rare.

Word has already spread among motorcycle riders that Mallorca is about more than just mass tourism. Here, visitors can rent a motorbike and enjoy the mountainous west of the Balearic Island, especially in winter. Those touring with an enduro bike will find gravel roads and trails, but a knowledgeable local guide is recommended. An all-terrain motorbike can get you even to remote beaches.

The 2,500 kilometer-long panoramic route on the rough Atlantic coast was first opened in 2014. It's billed as Europe's longest signposted coastal route — from the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal to the town of Kinsale in County Cork. The route leads travelers to Ireland's natural beauties, such as the Slieve League Cliffs. The weather is changeable, but the scenery is breathtaking.

The Black Forest sees a striking number of riders on BMW Boxers, which were once dubbed "rubber cows" because of the way they behaved when you open the throttle. On Schauinsland road, where hillclimb races used to be held, bikers can negotiate 173 curves in just 12 kilometers. And the legendary Black Forest High Road winds through 65 kilometers of scenic ridges.

To experience a French motorcyclist's paradise, ride around Corsica. The Mediterranean island offers rugged rocky scenery and wooded hills, and to top it all off, glorious sandy beaches to relax on afterward. Bikers who can handle hairpin curves love the rough asphalt that gives a great grip on many of the roads, though it can shorten the life of their tires.

With deep lakes, ancient castles, broad plateaus and winding roads, Scotland is a dream come true for bikers who don't mind occasional fog and rain. On narrow, single-track roads — just wide enough for one car — visitors can revel in freedom and solitude. After a tour, a nip of malt whisky from one of the hundred or so active Scottish distilleries is a perfect way to warm up.

Politically, the island belongs to Europe. Geographically, it's part of Africa — far enough away that it's not worth taking along a motorbike. But the volcanic landscape, featuring cliffs perforated with many tunnels, can also be explored on a rented motorcycle. Waterfalls sometimes cascade right over the mountain roads. Serpentine curves and oncoming traffic demand good riding skills.