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Grossglockner high alpine roads | © Großglockner Hochalpenstraßen AG Show gallery

Grossglockner High Alpine Road

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road leads into the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park. On 48 kilometres, the most famous Alpine road of the Eastern Alps winds its way through the unique mountain landscape.


A road steeped in history

Since its inauguration in 1935, the panoramic road has been one of Austria's most popular excursion destinations. Historical finds bear witness to the fact that as long as three and a half thousand years ago, people were using this route to cross the Alps. The Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe viewpoint is named after Emperor Franz-Josef who is known to have hiked there in 1856.

The Alpine Road in numbers

The 48-kilometre road with 36 horseshoe bends, takes you up to the Franz-Josefs-Höhe, where you can behold the full view of the Grossglockner – at 3,798 m, Austria's highest mountain. The nine-kilometre-long Pasterze – the largest glacier in the Eastern Alps – is especially impressive. The highest point on the High Alpine Road – which is open for around six months of the year – is the Edelweißspitze (2,572 m).

The path is the destination

The focus on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is not about arriving, but about the experience along the way. The magnificent views, informative exhibitions, rest areas with themed playgrounds and rustic inns make the road a perfect place to visit for the entire family. Be it for short walks or extended hikes, ski tours, motorbike rides or mountaineering – the panoramic road is justifiably a popular destination.

Some highlights of the panorama road
  • Haus Alpine Naturschau (2,260 m) – modern museum with temporary exhibitions and "Murmi Show" [nature documentary].
  • Edelweiß-Spitze (2,572 m) – small detour from the main road with incredible 360-degree panoramic views of more than 30 three-thousand-metre peaks
  • Fuscher Lacke and "Mankei" inn – tame marmots and alpine delicacies o Hochtor (2,503 m) – border between Salzburg and Carinthia, mostly year-round snow fields
  • Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe Visitor Centre (2,369 m) – interesting facts about glaciers and ice with Glockner cinema, Glockner panorama room, energy room and changing special exhibitions
  • Gamsgrubenweg – manageable panoramic trail from the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe above the Pasterze to the Wasserfallwinkel.

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