Großglockner High Alpine Road — From Carinthia to Austria's Roof★★★
The Großglockner High Alpine Road is the most spectacular panoramic road in the Alps and leads over 48 kilometers from Heiligenblut in Carinthia over the Hochtor Pass (2,504 m) to Bruck-Fusch in Salzburg. 36 bends, 1,500 meters of altitude, a glacier, and Austria's highest mountain — the Großglockner (3,798 m) — within reach.
The spur road to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe (2,369 m) is the highlight (in both senses): From the huge viewing terrace, you look directly at the Pasterze, Austria's largest glacier (8 km long, but rapidly shrinking), and the Großglockner peak behind it. In the visitor center, the "Glockner World" exhibition (free with toll) explains the geology, wildlife, and history of the High Alpine Road.
Along the road, there are several stops: The Edelweißspitze (2,571 m, the highest point reachable by car) with a 360° panorama over 37 three-thousanders, the Alpine Nature Show Museum on the Margaritze, and the Swarovski Lookout (telescopes for observing marmots and ibex, free).
Heiligenblut am Großglockner (Carinthian side) is the perfect starting point: A 1,300-inhabitant village with a Gothic church (15th century) posing in front of the Großglockner — the most photographed motif in Carinthia. In winter, a small, fine ski area (55 km of slopes, hardly any waiting times, day pass 52€).
Großglockner High Alpine Road: Toll 42€ per car (day ticket). Motorcycle 32€. Open: early May–early November (weather-dependent). Travel time Heiligenblut–Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe: approx. 45 minutes.
💡 Tipp
Plan a whole day for the Großglockner High Alpine Road — rushing through means missing the best. Start early in the morning (open from 5 AM in summer): Then the marmots are active, the peaks cloud-free, and the road almost empty. At the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, there's a good self-service restaurant (goulash soup 8€, Kaiserschmarrn 12€).
