Europe’s longest road is 1,200 miles long and passes through 10 countries

Those looking for a European adventure of a lifetime will be spellbound by the E40, which passes through an impressive 10 countries.

European route E40 is a 4,971 mile (8,000 km) long road making it the longest European route.

The whole journey on the E40 takes around 54 days.

The colossal road connects Calais, France, via Belgium, with Ridder, Kazakhstan, near the Russian and Chinese borders.

This road passes through Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

The route comprises a network of existing national highways and motorways in each country it traverses, passing through mountainous regions, rich landscapes, and bustling urban areas.

The longest European route is part of the European route network designated by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and is also recognised by the European Union.

The route provides additional direct east-west access compared to another route connecting Calais and Ridder which is 1,243 miles (2,000 km) shorter.

The E40 route may be slightly longer, but it gives access to other countries, including Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In Ukraine, the highway runs through northern regions from the Polish border near Krakovets through to the Russian border near Izvaryne.

Previous plans included an E40 Waterway proposed to connect the Baltic and Black Seas.

The main aim of this project was to create a shipping route that would revive trade and economic development in Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine.

These plans never came to fruition and faced significant opposition due to environmental concerns.

These included environmental damage, a threat to biodiversity and archaeological sites and radioactive fallout.

Building this waterway would’ve meant dredging in the southern parts of Ukraine with a high likelihood of radioactive fallout being released due to the previous Chornobyl reactor fire back in 1986.