Fuscher Törl

Fuscher Törl stands high in the Austrian Alps where the Fusch and Rauris valleys meet. It is a mountain pass on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, the highest metalled pass in Austria at 2,428 metres. The road climbs from Ferleiten through many tight bends past the Wilfried-Haslauer-Haus at 2,268 metres. Nearby the Hexenküche rock formation rises steeply from the valley floor. The pass has long been a crossing point. Bronze statuettes and Celtic coins found here show a Roman-era shrine complex along the ridge. In the 17th century it was the third most important Alpine route after the Brenner and Radstädter Tauern passes. The modern road was built between 1930 and 1932 as part of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road project led by engineer Franz Wallack. Visitors reach Fuscher Törl by car or bus along the serpentine road. The pass offers wide views down both valleys and across to the Grossglockner. A short side road leads to the Edelweissspitze viewpoint at 2,571 metres. The air is cool and thin, and the surrounding peaks rise sharply above the pass.