Travel has been in man’s blood since the beginning of time. In order to facilitate travel, we built roads. This list looks at the top 10 most unusual and interesting streets that still exist today. Most are modern.
Exploring the Top 10 Most Remarkable Roads
10. Gravity Hill
Claim To Fame: Gravity hills appear to defy the laws of physics.
Unlike the other entries on this roster, this isn’t a single, pinpointed road but a class of roads scattered across the globe. Hundreds of locations boast a “gravity hill” – sometimes called a magnetic or mystery hill – where a parked car seems to roll uphill when left in neutral. The illusion is created by the surrounding terrain, which tricks the eye into misreading the true slope. Want to test one yourself? A quick search of the Wikipedia list of magnetic hills will point you to dozens of spots where you can experience this quirky phenomenon firsthand.
9. Ebenezer Place
Claim To Fame: World’s Shortest Street.
Ebenezer Place in Scotland holds the record for the briefest street on the planet, measuring a mere 2.06 metres (about 6.8 feet). It hosts a single building – number 1 Ebenezer Place – which is part of the Mackays Hotel. The hotel’s owner was instructed in 1883 to paint a street name on the building’s shortest side, and the strip was officially recognised as a street in 1887. Its tiny length makes it a quirky footnote in the annals of urban planning.
8. Pan-American Highway
Claim To Fame: World’s Longest Road.
The Pan‑American Highway stretches an astonishing 48,000 kilometres (roughly 29,800 miles), linking the mainland nations of North, Central and South America. It eclipses the former record holder, Yonge Street in Toronto, after highway reconfigurations in the 1990s. The route traverses 15 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Argentina and El Salvador, making it a true continental artery for motorists and adventurers alike.
7. Parliament Street
Claim To Fame: World’s Narrowest Street.
Located in Exeter, England, Parliament Street squeezes down to less than 0.64 m (25 inches) at its tightest point, earning the title of the narrowest thoroughfare on Earth. Originally dubbed Small Street for obvious reasons, it was renamed after Parliament passed legislation expanding representation in the House of Commons. Dating back to the 1300s, the lane stretches about 50 metres and remains a beloved oddity for visitors.
6. Road To Giza
Claim To Fame: World’s Oldest Paved Road.
The Road to Giza, cutting through Egypt, is the planet’s oldest known paved roadway, dating back over 4,600 years. Six‑and‑a‑half feet wide, it spanned roughly seven and a half miles, connecting stone quarries southwest of Cairo to the quay on Lake Moeris, which fed into the Nile. Ancient builders used the road to haul massive basalt blocks destined for the Giza plateau, laying the foundation for the iconic pyramids.
5. 9 De Julio Avenue
Claim To Fame: World’s Widest Street.
Buenos Aires’ 9 de Julio Avenue, named after Argentina’s Independence Day, claims the title of the widest street worldwide. Boasting six lanes in each direction and stretching the width of an entire city block, the boulevard is lined with notable landmarks: the former Ministry of Communications building, the historic French Embassy, a statue of Don Quixote, and the iconic Obelisk in Plaza de la República.
4. Lombard Street
Claim To Fame: World’s Crookedest Street.
San Francisco’s Lombard Street is famed for its eight tight hair‑pin turns that wind down a steep hill, earning it the moniker “the crookedest street in the world.” The bends were engineered to tame the hill’s gradient, making it navigable for early automobiles. Today, the winding segment operates as a one‑way street with a parking ban to keep traffic flowing safely.
3. Magic Roundabout
Claim To Fame: World’s Worst Roundabout.
The Magic Roundabout in Swindon, England, has achieved internet fame as a bewildering traffic puzzle. Built in 1972, it consists of a central roundabout surrounded by five smaller ones. To navigate the inner circle, drivers must travel anti‑clockwise—the opposite of the usual British convention—making it a notorious challenge that has earned the title of Britain’s worst junction.
2. Savoy Court
Claim To Fame: Only Street In Britain Where You Must Drive On The Right.
While the United Kingdom drives on the left, Savoy Court in London is the sole exception where traffic must keep to the right. This quirky rule dates back to the era of hackney cabs; driving on the right allowed drivers to open the rear door onto the sidewalk without stepping into traffic, facilitating passenger alighting. A specific act of Parliament preserves this unusual right‑hand traffic flow.
1. Steepest Street
Claim To Fame: Steepest Street In The World.
Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, holds the record for the planet’s steepest public road, boasting a gradient of 35 percent. The city’s topography, combined with a British‑style grid laid over hilly terrain, produced this daring incline. At the summit, the road is surfaced with concrete rather than the usual asphalt, as the latter would slide down the slope in warm weather. The dramatic grade makes Baldwin Street a must‑see for thrill‑seeking drivers and tourists alike.