The most famous alpine road, the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße, takes you right into the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park and to the highest mountain in Austria, the Großglockner (3,798 m) and its Pasterze glacier! The panorama road is 48 kilometres long and includes 36 hair-pin bends. On the ascent to an altitude of 2,504 metres, you will drive through a unique mountain world.
It isn’t only the mountain world but also the traditions, culture and history of the road that make this such an amazing place. Historical finds show that people crossed the Alps here as early as three and a half thousand years before Christ. In 1856 His Majesty Emperor Franz Josef and Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) came hiking to the spot that has since become known as “Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe”. Once you get there, you will be standing immediately opposite the Großglockner with a view down to the longest glacier in the Eastern Alps, the Pasterze.
Things to see on the Glockner road:
• “Alpine Naturschau” House (2,260 m) -
Learn more about the highly sensitive mountain world of the Hohe Tauern and its extraordinarily rich diversity.
• Fuscher Törl (2,428 m) – a memorial and at the same time one of the most beautiful spots for photos.
• Hochtor (2,504 m) – here is the frontier between
Salzburg and Carinthia.
• “Celts, Sumpters and Romans” footpath
• Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe (2,369m) visitor centre
- with the Glockner cinema, non-permanent special exhibitions
and much more.
• Wilhelm Swarovski Observation Tower: from here state-of-the-art
optical instruments offer spectacular views of the high mountains.
For the youngest visitors there are four themed children’s playgrounds along the road. All in all, the high mountain air, the spectacular views of the Großglockner, and the numerous waterfalls in its vicinity allow you to escape once more from everyday life and recharge your energies!
