Grossglockner High Alpine Road
A spectacular hairpin road to the foot of Austria's highest peak and its glacier - one of the great alpine drives, open only in the warm months.
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Illustrative image - a scene in the spirit of the place, not a photograph of it. Real photos are below.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road climbs in dizzying hairpins to nearly two and a half thousand metres in the High Tauern National Park, leading to the foot of the Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain, and the Pasterze glacier below it. One of the most spectacular mountain roads in the Alps, it is open only from late spring to autumn.
What you actually see
- The hairpin road - the dramatic switchbacks climbing the high pass.
- Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hohe - the viewpoint facing the Grossglockner and Pasterze glacier.
- The high alpine world - the marmots, ibex and wildflowers of the passes.
- The glacier - the shrinking Pasterze glacier below the peak.
When to go
The open season from late May to October, the only time the road is clear of snow; even then weather at altitude is changeable. Clear days give the best glacier and peak views.
Honest expectations
The road is a toll road, closed by snow much of the year, and can be busy with cars, coaches and motorcycles in summer. Weather can shroud the peaks even in season. The glacier has retreated dramatically, so it is smaller than in old photos.
Nearby
Zell am See and Kaprun are to the north; Heiligenglut and Carinthia lie to the south.
What to pack for Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
