Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Buckle up for one of Europe's greatest alpine drives. Grossglockner Road consists of 48 head-spinning, glacier-
gawping, wow-what-a-mountain kilometres.
Leaving
Bruck
, enter the wild, mountainous Fuschertal (Fuscher Valley), passing Fusch and
Wild-
park Ferleiten
(
Click here
). Once through the toll gate, the road climbs steeply to
Hochmais
(1850m),
where glaciated peaks including 3564m Grosses Wiesbachhorn crowd the horizon. The road zigzags up to
Haus Alpine Naturschau
(2260m), which spotlights local flora and fauna. A little further along, a 2km side
road (no coaches allowed) corkscrews up to
Edelweiss Spitze
(2571m), the road's highest viewpoint. Climb
the tower for staggering 360-degree views of more than 30 peaks of 3000m. Refuel with coffee and strudel on
the terrace at the hut.
Get your camera handy for
Fuscher Törl
(2428m), with super views on both sides of the ridge, and gem-
stone of a lake
Fuscher Lacke
(2262m) nearby. Here a small exhibition documents the construction of the
road, built by 3000 men over five years during the Great Depression.
The road wriggles on through high meadows to
Hochtor
(2504m), the top of the pass, after which there's
a steady descent to
Schöneck
. Branch off west onto the 9km Gletscherstrasse, passing waterfalls and
Ach-
tung Murmeltiere
(Beware of Marmots) signs.
The Grossglockner massif slides into view on the approach to flag-dotted
Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe
(2369m), with memorable views of the bell-shaped Grossglockner (3798m) and the rapidly retreating Pasterze
Glacier. The 8km swirl of fissured ice is best appreciated on the short and easy Gamsgrubenweg and Gletscher-
weg trails. Allow time to see the glacier-themed exhibition at the visitor centre and the crystalline Wilhelm-
Swarovski observatory before driving back to Bruck.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Grossglockner Road
A stupendous feat of 1930s engineering, the 48km
Grossglockner Road
(
www.grossglockner.at
;
Hwy 107; car/motorcycle €33/23; May-early Nov)
swings giddily around 36 switchbacks, passing
jewel-coloured lakes, forested slopes and above-the-clouds glaciers from Bruck in
Salzburgerland to Heiligenblut in Carinthia. The superfit can bike it: it's worth the back-
breaking uphill for the exhilarating downhill, some say.
Between toll gates, all attractions are free. Begin your drive bright and early to beat the
crowds, as the road is often bumper-to-bumper by midday, especially in July and August.
It's also worth checking the forecast before you hit the road, as the drive is not much fun
in snow or a storm. Variations of the route include overnighting in Heiligenblut or con-
tinuing on to Lienz.
The route is doable by bus, albeit a time-consuming option. Bus 5002 runs frequently
between Lienz and Heiligenblut on weekdays (€8.40, one hour); less frequently at week-
