There's plenty to experience on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road There is no doubt that the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is one of the most sensational panoramic roads in Europe. 48 kilometres and 36 bends take you right to the core area of the Hohe Tauern National Park. This means you get to experience the superb high mountain landscape directly and up close. Yet this high Alpine road has even more – at twelve selected sites, variety-filled indoor and outdoor adventures are waiting for you! From museums with unique exhibitions to view-packed educational nature trails and panoramic paths to information points, fantastic play areas and breath-taking natural spectacles. Discover the twelve adventure-packed realms on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road!
There is no doubt that the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is one of the most sensational panoramic roads in Europe. 48 kilometres and 36 bends take you right to the core area of the Hohe Tauern National Park. This means you get to experience the superb high mountain landscape directly and up close. Yet this high Alpine road has even more – at twelve selected sites, variety-filled indoor and outdoor adventures are waiting for you! From museums with unique exhibitions to view-packed educational nature trails and panoramic paths to information points, fantastic play areas and breath-taking natural spectacles. Discover the twelve adventure-packed realms on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road!
Adventure worlds on the Grossglockner for all ages
Explore the twelve adventure-filled worlds along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road here – beginning with number 1 at the approach via the Ferleiten/Fusch pay point on the Salzburg side of the Glocknerstrasse to the stations in Carinthia.
Opening times
Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe visitor centre is open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. All other exhibitions & shops are open from 9:00 to 17:00.
Experience twelve adventure-packed stations during your excursion
The first station after the Ferleiten/Fusch pay point on the Glocknerstrasse inspires with a play area, an educational nature path through the specific conservation area which includes larch meadows (walking time around 30 mins) and the special exhibition ‘Salzburg’s highest: Part 1 – Inspirational mountain’, in which for example the oldest mountain guide flag in Salzburg is exhibited.
Find out interesting information about the glacier, the Rotmoos wetlands and the altitudinal vegetation stages here. Did you know that on your journey to Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe as many layers of vegetation are crossed as on a journey from Salzburg to Svalbard?
Haus Alpine nature exhibition is a museum which focuses on ecology in the high mountains. You ought not to miss the marmot cinema and the exciting, changing exhibitions! You can stretch your legs on the educational plant trail ‘The world of lichen in the high mountains’ before continuing your journey. And children can let off steam to their heart’s content at the playground. The second part of ‘Salzburg’s highest – giant mountains’ is here too.
A short access road leads to the highest point of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Here you get to enjoy a panoramic view to more than 30, three-thousand metre mountains! If you tackle this section which is full of twists and turns up the highest driveable point by motorbike, a special ‘Bikers Point’ awaits at the summit – reserved closets with lockers for motorcyclists. Please note: due to the narrow bends this access road is not suitable for buses and vehicles over 3.5 tonnes.
Coming from the Salzburg side, Fuscher Törl provides a first glimpse of the Grossglockner. The viewing terrace provides the loveliest photo point on the north side. Pay a visit to the memorial to the workers who died during the construction of the Grossglockner Road.
Golden eagles and vultures are the biggest birds in the Alps. With a bit of luck you will get to see these impressive birds of prey during their majestic flight. Informative display boards give you a closer insight into the life of these ‘Kings of the air’.
At a picturesque spot by a little lake, which you can walk around on a lovely path in around 10 minutes, is a road maintenance workers’ booth which houses the re-designed exhibition ‘Construction of the road’.
If you are driving from Fuscher Lacke to the Hochtor, imposing stone monoliths tower up, right next to the road. Stone Henge in the Hohe Tauern? Not quite, but similarly significant historically speaking, after all this is the geological open-air exhibition ‘Tauernfenster’.
Definitely plan a stop at the apex of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and visit the superb ‘Passheiligtum Hochtor’ exhibition (Hochtor pass sanctuary) with the famous bronze statue of Hercules. The starting point for the ‘Celts, pack animal and Roman trail path’ trail is here too (walking time 30 mins).
The botanical circular hiking trail ‘Wonderous world of the Glockner meadows’ (walking time 10 mins) and a nature exhibition invite you to explore the flora and fauna on the Glockner. A themed play area also provides interesting information to younger visitors about bees, butterflies and the like in a fun, playful way.
Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe is both the finish point and the highest point of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Here, at 2369 metres, you get to enjoy a unique view to the Grossglockner, Johannisberg and the Pasterze! Explore the visitor centre which has a wide range of exhibitions including Austria’s highest automobile exhibition, the special exhibition ‘Berg die – women on the rise’ and the nature exhibition ‘Glacier. Life’. In the surrounding area you can explore the natural surroundings and see where the animals here live. A special experience – the panoramic view from the Wilhelm Swarovski observatory which is above the car park, to the ibex colony and the mountains. From the middle of July until the end of September free guided tours with National Park rangers take place.
At Kasereck information point you find out lots of interesting information about the topic out the ‘natural and cultural landscape of Oberes Mölltal’, before you get to Heiligenblut. Our tip: in Heiligenblut visit “Haus der Steinböcke" (Ibex house) and the late Gothic church with its wonderful altar by Michael Pacher.