Grossglockner High Alpine Road

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is Austria’s highest surfaced mountain pass, running from Bruck in Salzburg’s Salzach Valley up to Heiligenblut in Carinthia. It crosses the Alpine divide at Hochtor Pass, 2,504 metres above sea level, and includes the Fuscher Törl at 2,428 metres. A branch leads from Fuscher Törl to the Edelweißspitze viewpoint at 2,571 metres. The route passes the Glocknerhaus mountain hut and the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe visitors’ centre at 2,369 metres.

The road was built in the 1930s to create jobs during economic hardship, with planners expecting 120,000 visitors a year. By 1938 it drew 375,000 visitors in 98,000 vehicles, rising to 1.3 million visitors by 1962. The project was championed by Salzburg’s provincial head Franz Rehrl and engineer Franz Wallack, who made the first crossing in a Steyr 100 car. The road’s history reflects Austria’s recovery and changing transport habits, from early motorcycle dominance to modern car traffic.

Visitors follow numbered hairpin bends up to Hochtor Pass, with wide views over the Pasterze Glacier and the Grossglockner massif. At Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, an overlook named after Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elisabeth offers panoramic views. The road passes through high alpine terrain with parking areas and modern facilities. Snow clearing involves large rotary ploughs clearing up to 800,000 cubic metres of snow each spring. The route remains a celebrated engineering achievement and scenic drive.