D4085 / D6085 · France

Route Napoléon

The route Napoleon took in 1815 on his return from Elba, from the coast near Antibes to Grenoble. This section crosses the hills between Castellane and Séranon.

StartFinishHairpin

23.6 kmLength

109Pace-note calls

6Hairpins

12Tight corners (1–2)

↑530 ↓190Climb and drop, m

≈1,120 mHighest point

Counts are from Turini’s pace-note engine on this route. Heights come from terrain data and can differ from signposted figures by a few tens of metres.

Where is the Route Napoléon?

The Route Napoléon is in France, on the D4085 / D6085. Also known as N85. The route on this page: Castellane to Séranon, over the Col de Luens, 23.6 km.

Why the Route Napoléon is famous

It is a well-known touring and motorcycling road, with long, flowing bends over open hills, and is marked along the way with eagle signs.

Route Napoléon hairpins

Over 23.6 km Turini calls 6 hairpins and 90 corners graded 1 to 6, plus 1 crest and 2 dips. That is 109 calls in all, one every 217 metres on average. Grade 1 is the tightest, 6 is nearly straight (how to read pace notes).

HP6

328

421

518

611

Route Napoléon elevation profile

From 733 m at the start to 1,079 m at the finish, with a highest point of about 1,120 m. Red marks are the hairpins.

1,200 m700 m

0 km11.8 km23.6 km

Route Napoléon pace notes, first few km

The first 25 calls, exactly as Turini reads them, with the distance from the start.

35 mLeft 1

105 mRoundabout, second exit

220 mRight 2

255 mBridge

300 mLeft 3

460 mRight 6

785 mRight 6

940 mLeft 6

1.29 kmLeft 5 long

1.83 kmBridge

1.96 kmRight 3

2.17 kmLeft 6

2.35 kmLeft 5

2.45 kmLeft 1 long tightens in dip

2.53 kmRight 3 very long opens over crest

2.78 kmLeft 5

2.84 kmRight 3

2.95 kmRight 5

3.00 kmLeft 3

3.06 kmRight 3

3.17 kmLeft 4 opens

3.32 kmHairpin right

3.40 kmLeft 4

3.44 kmRight 4

3.50 kmLeft 2

That takes you to 3.50 km. 84 more calls follow over the remaining 20.1 km.

Before you drive the Route Napoléon

Open all year; snow is possible on the higher stretches in winter.

It is an ordinary main road with local traffic and lorries. Fuel and food are easiest to find in Castellane.

How to drive the Route Napoléon with Turini

Set the route before you leave and Turini saves its notes on the phone, so it works with the screen off and no signal. On the road it reads each call about 4.5 seconds before the corner, timed to your speed, and you never touch the phone. It also works through Android Auto. If pace notes are new to you, start in Simple mode (Easy, Medium, Hard) and switch to the 1–6 scale once it feels natural.

Always drive within the law, the conditions and what you can see. Turini tells you what the map says; the road is what counts.

More roads like the Route Napoléon

Gorges du VerdonFrance24.8 km · 241 calls · 6 hairpins

Col de la BonetteFrance23.1 km · 250 calls · 27 hairpins

Col de TuriniFrance12.6 km · 153 calls · 19 hairpins

Best driving roads in Europe · Best driving roads in France · All famous roads · How to read pace notes

Sources: Wikipedia: Route Napoléon.

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