Loser Panorama Road

The Loser Panoramastrasse climbs about a thousand metres from Altaussee to a car park at around sixteen hundred on the shoulder of the Loser, in twenty-nine hairpins over roughly ten kilometres, and it is a toll road built in the 1960s for the ski area and kept as a scenic route. What it gives is a view across the Ausseerland to the Dachstein and down onto the Altausseer See, and access to walking on the karst plateau above - the Loser summit at 1,838 metres is a straightforward walk from the top car park, and the Augstsee sits just below it. The Loser is also known for its caves and shafts, including some of the deepest in Austria in the Totes Gebirge behind. In winter the road serves the ski area.

What you actually see

• Twenty-nine hairpins - the toll road climbing a thousand metres from the village.
• A view to the Dachstein - across the Ausseerland from the top car park.
• The Augstsee and summit - short walks from the road end onto the plateau.
• Karst plateau ground - limestone pavement and shafts behind the summit.

When to go

May to October; the road closes in snow outside the ski season. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The road is tolled and narrow with tight bends and drops. Cloud closes the view often. The plateau is exposed karst - navigation is hard in fog and there are unmarked shafts.

Nearby

Altaussee and its salt mine are below; Bad Aussee and the Grundlsee are close.