Grossglockner High Alpine Road Travel Guide (): Neighborhoods, Sights & € EUR Costs

Opened in 1935, the 48-kilometer Grossglockner High Alpine Road climbs through four climate zones to the 2,504m Hochtor tunnel and the 2,369m Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe overlook directly opposite the pyramid summit of the 3,798m Grossglockner.

Getting There & Around: Start from the North Toll Booth at Ferleiten (15 min south of Zell am See / Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße) or the South Toll Booth at Heiligenblut in Carinthia (40 min from Lienz). In July–September, the Glocknerbus runs on selected days from Zell am See and National Park valleys.

Top neighborhoods & bases

Top sights & experiences

• <strong>Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe (2,369m)</strong> — Stand face-to-face with the 3,798m Grossglockner summit, the Pasterze Glacier, and wild alpine marmots (Murmeltiere) and ibex.
• <strong>Edelweißspitze (2,571m)</strong> — Drive 6 cobblestone hairpins up to the highest drivable viewpoint in the Hohe Tauern overlooking 30+ peaks above 3,000 meters.
• <strong>36 Numbered Hairpin Bends (Kehren) & Hochtor Pass (2,504m)</strong> — Cross the main Alpine divide between Salzburg and Carinthia.
• <strong>Heiligenblut am Großglockner</strong> — Iconic pointed Gothic spire of St. Vincent Church framed perfectly against the Grossglockner pyramid.
• <strong>Haus Alpine Naturschau & Fuscher Törl (2,428m)</strong> — High-altitude ecology exhibits and sweeping photo terraces.

What to eat in Grossglockner High Alpine Road

<strong>Mölltaler Almlamm, Glocknerkrapfen & Brettljause</strong> — Pasture-raised Hohe Tauern mountain lamb, savory Carinthian curd-and-herb turnovers, and wooden boards of air-dried alpine Speck, Almcheese, and sourdough farmhouse bread. · <strong>Typical Price Range (€ EUR)</strong> — €14–€25 at Heiligenblut inns and High Alpine Road panoramic huts · <strong>Where Locals Eat</strong> — Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe Panorama Restaurant, Fuscherlacke Mankeiwirt, and Kirchenwirt Heiligenblut

Best day trips from Grossglockner High Alpine Road

• Zell am See & Kaprun (20 min north of Ferleiten toll booth).
• Lienz & East Tyrol Dolomites (35 min south of Heiligenblut over the Iselsberg Pass).
• Krimml Waterfalls (1 hour west across the Pinzgau valley).

Getting there & local transit

Start from the North Toll Booth at Ferleiten (15 min south of Zell am See / Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße) or the South Toll Booth at Heiligenblut in Carinthia (40 min from Lienz). In July–September, the Glocknerbus runs on selected days from Zell am See and National Park valleys.

Local tips & mistakes to avoid

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Pair Grossglockner High Alpine Road with

Vienna

Imperial Habsburg palaces, Ringstraße coffee houses, world-class opera, and hillside Heuriger vineyards on the Danube

3–5 days

Salzburg

Baroque domes beneath Hohensalzburg Fortress, Mozart's birthplace, and gateway to the Salzkammergut lakes

2–3 days

Hallstatt

16th-century alpine houses clinging between the fjord-like Hallstätter See and the 2,995m Dachstein massif

1–2 days (stay overnight for tranquil mornings)