The Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse is the most spectacular alpine road drive in Austria: 48 kilometres of engineered switchbacks climbing to over 2,500 metres, with 37 peaks over 3,000 metres in view from the top and the Pasterze Glacier visible from the spur at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe. Built in the 1930s, used by over a million visitors a year, and still earning it.
The Story
The decision to build a high alpine road across the Tauern in the early 1930s was partly engineering ambition and partly economic desperation. Austria was in the Depression and needed employment; the road employed roughly 3,000 workers and was completed in 1935. It was also designed to be beautiful: the sweeping curves, the panoramic viewpoints, the visitor platforms were all deliberate from the start.
From the Pinzgau side, the road leaves Bruck and climbs through a series of long hairpin switchbacks past the Fuscher Lacke lake and through the Hochtor tunnel at 2,504 metres, then descends to Heiligenblut in Carinthia. The first detour worth taking is the side road to the Edelweißspitze at 2,571 metres, where on a clear day the panorama encompasses 37 peaks over 3,000 metres: a sweep of the central Eastern Alps that is genuinely difficult to process at once.
The second, more substantial detour is the spur to Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, the visitor complex that faces directly onto the Pasterze Glacier and the north face of the Großglockner. The Pasterze is Austria's longest glacier and has been retreating measurably since reliable records began; marker posts along the viewing path show where the ice reached in 1870, 1950, and more recently. The glacier itself, though diminished, is still vast. The Großglockner's north face above it is a wall of rock and permanent ice at 3,798 metres.
The Hohe Tauern National Park surrounds the entire road corridor, which means the roadside environment is protected and the landscape on either side of the tarmac has the quality of a genuine wilderness. Wildlife sightings, including marmots along the verges, are common.
The road is a toll road. It is not free and the toll is meaningful. It is also, on the right day, worth every euro.
Planning
Getting there: from Salzburg, roughly 90 km to Bruck im Pinzgau via the A10 Tauernautobahn and then the B311 valley road; allow about 80-90 minutes to Bruck before the road begins. The standard approach is Salzburg-Bruck-Hochtor-Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, then return the same way or continue to Heiligenblut and loop back via Zell am See.
Combining: Zell am See is 15 km north of Bruck and a natural overnight base or lunch stop. The Kitzsteinhorn glacier ski area above Kaprun is accessible the same day. A classic Pinzgau day combines Grossglockner, Zell am See, and Kaprun.
When to visit: the road opens roughly in early May (subject to snowplough clearance) and closes in November. Peak crowds are July and August. May, June, and September offer thinner traffic and, in May, the contrast of snowbanks beside the road. Avoid midday in August at Edelweißspitze and Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe if crowd tolerance is low.
Practical: Toll applies at the entrance stations (Ferleiten from the Salzburg side, Heiligenblut from the Carinthian side); check current rates before arriving. Fuel up before the toll gate; there are no petrol stations on the road itself. The road can close temporarily due to weather, rockfall, or high-season traffic management. The visitor centre at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe has restaurants, a hotel, and extensive parking.