Glockner High Alpine Road - Hohe Tauern by car

Glockner High Alpine Road - The most beautiful pass road in Austria

The Glockner High Alpine Road is Austria scenic road. When the sun is shining outside, the sky awakens our longing for the mountains. Whenever possible, we hop in the car and head out in search of regions worth exploring. It was the same with ours Road trip on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Here we present the Grossglockner High Alpine Road route.

Are you interested in the area around the Hohe Tauern National Park, then Tina and Manfred have tips for you.

 

 

Getting to the Grossglockner High Alpine Road

When the sun is shining we leave Munich. The journey takes a good three hours. Our navigation device wants to lure us through the mountains via side roads. But we resist the hints and stay on the autobahn until we finally reach the junction at Bischofshofen in the direction of St. Johann im Pongau. We want to go quickly fusch, the starting point of the Glockner High Alpine Road.

Via the Glockner High Alpine Road to the Fuschertörl

So we have time for the 48 km long Alpine Panorama Road. With 37 hairpin bends, this panoramic road leads through the mountain world of the Fuscher and the Möll valley from Salzburger Land Carinthia. Experiencing the Hohe Tauern National Park by car takes time. Views of alpine peaks and the Fuscher valley await us. We also see the Fuscher Törl, the ski areas beyond, the Fuscher Lacke and the Großglockner and the Pasterze.

 

 

 

Grossglockner High Alpine Road Austria route map

Although we already know the route, it fascinates us. We take a day for the route. There is a lot to discover. Still, we didn't see all the attractions.

 

 

Thanks to our stay at the Hotel Kärntnerhof in Heiligenblut, we can pass through the payment station without paying the entrance fee. More information is available in our article about the Hotel Kärntnerhof.

Magnificent views on the Glockner High Alpine Road

The views along the serpentine route are always more spectacular. We stop at almost every bend and take pictures of the views. On the way we also admire the cyclists who struggle up the mountain. This time we are on the road during the week. Therefore, the cyclists can be counted on one hand. During our weekend visit a few years ago, a caravan of cyclists was heading up the mountain. Crossing the Glockner High Alpine Road is one of the most famous routes for sports cyclists.

 

 

Glacier on our Grossglockner Tour

Because we drive through the Hohe Tauern National Park on one of the late summer days of the year, the glaciers we see from the road are clearly visible. We can see crevasses well from afar. The waterfalls that flow from them down into the valley are sometimes thin at this time of year. Unlike when the snow melted in spring. But the snow cover is missing, which prevents the view of cracks and cracks in the ice in spring.

Views on the Glockner High Alpine Road to the Piffkar

We also see how rugged the glacial masses actually are. Along the Fuscher valley on the way up to the Piffkar, the glaciers lie high up on the mountains in Kuhlen. These have been carved into the rock by glaciers over thousands of years. The valley glacier that we see on our road trip through the Hohe Tauern National Park is the Pasterze, which flows down into the valley from the Grossglockner.

 

 

 

 

On the Grossglockner High Alpine Road route, exits invite you to stop

On the way there are exits where information boards explain the glacier and mountain world. There you will learn interesting facts about the geology, the flora, the fauna as well as about the glaciers. In shelters that were built during the construction of the Glockner High Alpine Road in the 1930s, there are exhibitions that provide interesting information about this high mountain region.

 

 

During our visit to the Hohe Tauern we found out in one of these shelters that the road was built on the tracks of footpaths. The Romans, the Celts and the Maulers (carrier) used. They transported their goods on backpacks from Italy over the mountains to the markets north of the Alps. This time, however, there is a traveling exhibition about the population of golden eagles in the high mountains. Because of the weather, however, we decided not to visit the refuges and instead enjoy the views.

 

 

 

At the Fuschertörl on the Großglocknerstrasse

We have a view of the north side of the mountain range from Fuschertörl (see first photo above). Below us, the road winds in serpentines along the mountainside. We hear languages ​​from all over the world. However, the admiration that this route demands from its visitors can be heard in all of them. We spend time at the Fuschertörl and at the memorial for the workers who had an accident while building the road. There we enjoy the view. However, because of the hustle and bustle of the bus tourists in the Wirtshaus am Fuschertörl, we decide to postpone our snack until the afternoon.

 

 

From the Fuschertörl we can also take the branch line to the Edelweißspitze with a view of the Großglockner. The road to the Edelweißspitze contains a number of hairpin bends that are not easy for everyone to drive. The view of the Großglockner from the Edelweißspitze is worth every excitement. The webcam from the Edelweißspitze shows whether the Großglockner is currently visible or whether it has disappeared behind clouds. There you can see the current weather on the Grossglockner.

 

 

Break at the Mankeiwirt on the Glockner High Alpine Road

We finally enjoy this with a view at the Mankeiwirt on the Fuscher Lacke, a mountain lake. Chilling out on the terrace of a mountain hut is something special! However, don't forget the sunscreen.

After a Brettljause with sausage and bacon specialties, horseradish, tomatoes and cucumbers, we look at the exhibition about the construction of the road in the road construction house on the lake shore. The Glockner High Alpine Road was one of the job creation measures after the Great Depression at the beginning of the 20th century. Many of the workers came from the surrounding villages, from Slovenia and northern Italy. They made good money. The work was dangerous and exhausting. The documents and the statements of contemporary witnesses show that the workers were proud to be involved in this construction project.

Eventually, success would prove them right. If the builders had hoped to attract at least 40.000 motorists to the Hohe Tauern region in the first year, they were surprised by the number of visitors, which was four times as high in the year after the opening. The flow of visitors has not decreased to this day. Instead, he kept growing.

 

 

 

The Glockner High Alpine Road to the Grossglockner

It is just four o'clock in the afternoon when we reach the roundabout where one road branches off to the Grossglockner and another to Heiligenblut. "Enough time for us to make a detour to the Glockner," I say to Petar. So we drive the road uphill even as clouds gather around the mountain peaks. We stop at one of the hairpin bends and admire a waterfall that falls down into the valley in two stages. Below is a hiking trail where a group of hikers are chased away by a bull. This feels quite comfortable in the mountain air. Well fed, he stands on a hill for minutes.

 

 

Großglockner Franz Josefshöhe - highlight of the Glockner High Alpine Road

From the Kaiser Franz Josefshöhe we have a view of the Großglockner. We are lucky. Its summit is still almost cloud-free, although clouds are building up over it. We drive to the end of the Glockner Straße and have a view of the mountain and the glacier. Even though the sky isn't as blue as it was a few hours ago, the sun keeps fighting its way through. This ultimately ensures a play of colors on Austria's highest mountain peak.

How high is the Grossglockner?

At 3798 meters, the Glockner towers above all mountain peaks. Watercourses flow down the mountain from its slopes and from the Pasterze Glacier and collect in the glacial lake below the mountain massif. The Alpe Adria hiking trail also starts here. This leads from the Hohe Tauern to the Adriatic Sea.

 

 

 

Impressed by the nature that we experience on our road trip through the national park, we finally turn around and choose the turnoff to Heiligenblut at the roundabout. This brings us in hairpin bends down to the mountain village. A day in the mountains comes to an end.

Heiligenblut on the Glockner High Alpine Road

The town of Heiligenblut am Großglockner is not only a good starting point for trips on the Großglockner High Alpine Road in Austria. The area around Heiligenblut also offers destinations that are suitable for hikes and excursions. We'll set them up this side .

Questions and answers on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road

How much does the toll on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road cost?

The toll is currently (August 2022) 39 euros. It is paid for at the ticket offices at the north and south entrances to the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. You can also pay for them at ÖAMTC, ADAC or ARBÖ.

How long does it take for the Grossglockner High Alpine Road?

Pure driving time from Fusch to the Großglockner is about 1,5 hours. However, one should take much more time to experience the sights, viewpoints and hikes along the way.

What can you do on the Grossglockner?

There are information points, exhibitions, museums and themed and panoramic trails along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. There are also restaurants, beer gardens and wine taverns along the way that invite you to take a break. At the Großglockner itself there are exhibitions and a path to the glacier.

Where does the Grossglockner High Alpine Road begin?

The panoramic road runs from fusch in the Salzburg region Heiligenblut in Carinthia.

 

---

Travel organization Glockner High Alpine Road

Arrival by plane and/or car to the Glockner High Alpine Road

Arrival by plane, bus or train*. The airport is Salzburg. From there you can travel by rental car or car. Travel time from Salzburg to Fusch on the Glockner High Alpine Road is 1,5 hours. It takes 2,5 hours to drive from Munich, a good four hours from Vienna and 3 hours and 45 minutes from Graz.

Rental car for the Glockner High Alpine Road:

Car hire - book here! *

Accommodation in Heiligenblut on the Glockner High Alpine Road

Hotels and accommodation in Heiligenblut * you can book here.

---

 

 

Slow Travel Tips you find here. discover Routes for connoisseurs in Austria.

There are road trips in the blog parade "The most beautiful road tripsFrom Spaness.

 

Remember the Glockner High Alpine Road:

 

 

Useful information on the Glockner High Alpine Road

How big are the Alps?

The Alps cover an area of ​​298.128 km². They form a 1200 km arc from the Ligurian Sea to the Pannonian Basin. They vary in width between 150 and 240 kilometers.

How big is Austria?

Austria encloses an area of ​​83.878 square kilometers.

 

Source Grossglockner High Alpine Road Route: research on site. We would also like to thank Genuss Reisen Austria and the Kärntnerhof for the invitation. However, our opinion remains our own.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs