With huge drops of over 1000 feet and hairpin bends that twist and turn through some of the most stunning countryside in Europe, it's no wonder even the ever-jaded Jeremy Clarkson was impressed. The Top Gear presenter drove this spectacular road through Romania and was asked how it compared to other great roads.

"This is the best road in the world!" he declared. The amazing road, called the Transfagarasan Highway, passes over the Fagaras mountains in Transylvania, Romania. Paul White, who writes about the road on www.wildtransylvania.com, says: "This road is not for the faint-hearted and is a scary drive in places.

"There are large sections of non-barriered road with sheer drops of over 1000 ft. Sadly, I heard on the news that a couple died on the Transfagarasan highway the day after I completed my journey. I didn't pick up the full story, but I know brake failure is a common cause for fatalities on the Transfagarasan."

Paul advises: "When planning your trip along the Transfagarasan highway, give yourself plenty of time for the crossing. It is a mistake to calculate your day by simply looking at the distances on a map. It is not just vehicles that use the highway, many shepherds use the same route with large flocks. Once they enter the road they are committed until they reach a path or grazing land.

"With a rock face on one side and a sheer drop to the other, they often have nowhere to go to let you pass."

At the peak of the Fagaras mountains, the alpine Bilea (Balea) lake is a good spot to stop for lunch. There is a restaurant located on the edge of the lake and rooms too if the weather closes in.

Paul added: "It was remarkable to see so much snow and ice surrounding the restaurant in June. Only two hours before we were in T-shirts soaking up the warmth at the foot of the valley. The snow on the surrounding slopes gradually melts topping up the lake and the overflow maintains fast flowing streams down the side of the mountain."

Following the Transfagarasan Highway over to the other side of the Fagaras Mountains, you reach the spectacular Lake Vidraru, where you can then choose to navigate down the right or left-hand side of the lake to get to the town of Curtea de Arges.

The dam at Lake Vidraru is the second largest in Romania and is a staggering feat of engineering.

The Transfagarasan highway starts near the village of Bascov and stretches 90 kilometres (56 miles) between the highest peaks in the country, Moldoveanu and Negoiu. Built in the early 1970s as a strategic military route, it connects the historic regions of Transylvania and Wallachia.

Having driven the route Paul advises those who wish to follow in his and Clarkson's footsteps to do the following:

* Check your brakes before driving over these mountains, as if they fail on any of the bends without barriers, your number will be up.

* Check the weather forecast on the day you head for the Transfagarasan highway, as it is closed in bad weather. Don't plan a trip in winter as the highway is closed. Generally speaking it is safe to plan your trip between mid June and mid September.

* There are numerous villages and towns on both sides of the highway offering accommodation for every budget. The hotels on or just off the highway itself tend to be expensive. Several camp sites can also be found.