Großglockner High Alpine Road
The loveliest panoramic road in the Hohe Tauern National Park
In July 2015, to mark its 80th birthday, the Großglockner High Alpine Road received landmark status. An honour worthy of one of the most breath-taking edifices in Austria. The panoramic road through the Hohe Tauern, which provides a unique link between the towns of Fusch a.d. Glocknerstraße in the north and Heiligenblut in the south, is one of the main attractions in the Hohe Tauern.
Queen of the mountain passes
That is exactly how the Großglockner High Alpine Road is described, after all it is the most beautiful and also the best known panoramic road in Europe. At over 48 km in length and with 36 breath-taking switchbacks, this dreamy road heads up to over 2500m altitude, taking visitors into the thick of things in the breath-taking realm of the Hohe Tauern. Panoramic views and landscape are not all that the Großglockner High Alpine Road has to offer though.
Interesting facts & plenty of information
You ought to take a bit of time to enjoy an excursion along the Großglockner High Alpine Road, since you will have to stop off a few times. A photo stop here, a leisurely refreshment stop there, interesting information in the museums and exhibits. Did you know who built the road, and when and how much wonderful flora and fauna you get to enjoy cruising through? So, pull over, switch off you engine and enjoy.
Short excursion: how it all started
Our road is inseparably linked with two men: Franz Wallack, the man who built the road, and Franz Rehrl, the former governor of Salzburg. When on 30th August 1930 in Ferleiten the first blasting operations had been carried out, it was then some 4000 men who set about building in just 26 months, and some 870,000 cubic metres of rock and earth. Just 5 years later, on 3rd August 1935, the road was opened.
Food and drink on the way
Whether you tackle the Großglockner High Alpine Road by car, motorbike, bicycle or motorhome it doesn’t matter, nor does it matter how many exhibits you look at; you will definitely get hungry. Between Fusch a.d. Glocknerstraße in Salzburg and Heiligenblut in Carinthia, there are plenty of traditional, historic alpine inns and lodges for you to park at, sit down in and enjoy. Anyone who wants to spend a night “on the mountain” can book a lovely room in the high mountains too.
Cool Facts
The Fuscher Törl 2428m is the best place on the road for photos
The border between Salzburg and Carinthia proceeds up to the Hochtor, 2504m
The road is one of the TOP 3 excursion destinations in Austria
Spanning 48km in length, there are 36 switchbacks and bends
The highest point is on the Edelweißspitze at 2500m
At Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe you can enjoy a direct view to the Großglockner
There was a celebratory opening event for the road on 3rd August 1935
Construction spanned 26 months, with up to 4000 men working
Every year up to 900,000 visitors from all over the world come to the Großglockner
This is what one real Großglockner fan had to say
“When spring comes to the country and in the news there is talk of snow clearing on the Großglockner, I always get so excited. I talk to my motorbike and tell him that it’ll soon be time to get going again and that Großglockner-Hochalpenstrassen AG is working feverishly at clearing the snow and we will soon be able to upon up the throttle. The Großglockner High Alpine Road really is the best road for me and my motorbike. The bends, the ascents and the breath-taking views – everything along this dream road is, quite simply, dreamy …”!
You are probably now itching to open up the throttle, whether that is in your car or on your motorbike.
Please get on touch for more information & details or send us a no-obligation holiday enquiry. Telephone us on +43 4824 2700
