Grossglockner High Alpine Road: 2026 Drive Guide

By Best:in Editorial Team · Updated September 2026

This guide covers the Grossglockner High Alpine Road as it stands in September 2026, the final weeks before the annual winter closure. It explains the 48 km toll route between Salzburg and Carinthia, the 36 hairpin bends, the Hochtor and Edelweissspitze high points, and how to plan stops at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe before snow shuts the pass for the season.

How long is the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and how high does it climb?

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road (Grossglocknerhochalpenstrasse) is a toll mountain road that runs for about 48 km between Fusch an der Grossglocknerstrasse in Salzburg and Heiligenblut am Grossglockner in Carinthia. The main route climbs from around 800 m at the northern gate to 2,504 m at the Hochtor tunnel, the high point where the old Salzburg-Carinthia provincial border sits. Drivers pass 36 numbered hairpin bends on the way, most of them between Ferleiten and Fuscher Toerl.

A side road called the Edelweissspitze detour branches off near Fuscher Toerl and climbs about 2 km to a viewing tower at 2,571 m, the highest point on Austria's public paved road network. A second branch, the roughly 9 km Gletscherstrasse, leaves the main route at Guttal and ends at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe, the terrace facing the Pasterze glacier and the Grossglockner summit.

When is the Grossglockner High Alpine Road open in 2026?

The road is a seasonal route, not a year-round highway. Grossglockner Hochalpenstrassen AG (GROHAG), the operating company, closes the pass every winter once heavy snow makes clearing uneconomical, then reopens it each spring after snow-clearing crews cut through drifts that can exceed 5 m at the Hochtor. In recent years the opening has fallen in the first half of May and the closing in late October or the first half of November.

GROHAG confirms the exact 2026 opening and closing dates on its own website shortly before each changeover, because both depend on that year's snowfall and avalanche clearance work. As of late September 2026 the road is in its final weeks of the season, so drivers planning a trip this autumn should check the current status page before setting out, since sections can close on short notice for snow or fog.

How much does the toll cost and what does it cover?

GROHAG charges a toll per vehicle at the Ferleiten gate on the Salzburg side and the Heiligenblut gate on the Carinthia side. The standard product is a day ticket that covers one return crossing of the main route plus the Edelweissspitze side road, and GROHAG also sells multi-day tickets and season passes for repeat visitors. Motorcycles pay a lower rate than cars, and buses and larger vehicles are charged by length and axle count.

Exact ticket prices change from one season to the next, so this guide does not quote a fixed euro figure; the current price list sits on GROHAG's official site and at both toll gates. Part of the toll revenue funds road maintenance and avalanche protection, and GROHAG also contributes to conservation work inside the Hohe Tauern National Park, through which the entire route passes.

How do you drive the route from Salzburg to Carinthia?

  1. Ferleiten to Fuscher Toerl

    Drivers entering from Salzburg pass the Ferleiten toll gate at roughly 1,150 m, then climb through the bulk of the road's 36 hairpin bends over about 15 km to Fuscher Toerl at 2,428 m. This stretch has the steepest average gradient on the route, and slow-moving camper vans or e-bikes are common on the outer bends.

  2. Fuscher Toerl to Edelweissspitze (optional detour)

    At Fuscher Toerl a signposted turn leads onto the roughly 2 km Edelweissspitze side road, gaining about 140 m to the 2,571 m viewing tower, the highest point of Austria's paved public road network. The detour has its own tight bends and limited parking, so it suits cars and motorcycles better than long camper vans.

  3. Fuscher Toerl to Hochtor

    Back on the main route, the road runs past the Fuscherlacke alpine lake and a national park information pavilion before reaching the Hochtor tunnel at 2,504 m, roughly 6 km beyond Fuscher Toerl. The 311 m tunnel marks the historic boundary between Salzburg and Carinthia and the watershed of the Alps.

  4. Hochtor to Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe

    South of the tunnel the road descends toward Guttal, where the roughly 9 km Gletscherstrasse branches off to Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe at 2,369 m. The terrace overlooks the Pasterze glacier and the 3,798 m Grossglockner summit, and a funicular carries visitors further down toward the retreating glacier tongue.

  5. Guttal to Heiligenblut

    From Guttal the main route continues roughly 15 km down to the Heiligenblut toll gate on the Carinthia side, dropping to about 1,300 m. Heiligenblut am Grossglockner, with its pilgrimage church framed by the Grossglockner peak, is the usual overnight base for drivers ending the crossing here.

Are there vehicle restrictions for campers, trailers or motorcycles?

The road bans vehicle-and-trailer combinations outright, so caravans and cars towing trailers must find another route around the Hohe Tauern range. GROHAG also restricts vehicles over a certain length and weight, and coaches above a set size must book a passage window in advance so they do not meet oncoming traffic on the narrower bends near Fuscher Toerl.

A general speed limit of 50 km/h applies on the main route, with lower posted limits through the 36 hairpins and the Hochtor tunnel. Motorcyclists make up a large share of summer traffic, and GROHAG's own guidance asks drivers to keep to the right on blind bends and to use the marked pull-outs, rather than the road shoulder, for photo stops.

How does it compare with Austria's other high alpine toll roads?

Within Austria the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is usually compared with the Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse in Vorarlberg and the Timmelsjoch Hochalpenstrasse between Tyrol and South Tyrol. The Grossglockner route is the longest of the three at about 48 km, and the Edelweissspitze side road at 2,571 m sits higher than the Timmelsjoch pass height of about 2,509 m and well above the Silvretta road's Bielerhoehe at roughly 2,036 m.

The Grossglockner route also carries more visitor infrastructure than either rival, including the Swarovski-branded exhibition and visitor centre at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe. That combination of altitude, glacier scenery and facilities is why guidebooks and motoring associations typically rank it as the best-known of Austria's toll alpine roads, even though the Silvretta and Timmelsjoch routes are shorter drives for visitors based further west.

Which options rank highest?

1.

Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe

Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe is the terrace at the end of the 9 km Gletscherstrasse side road, sitting at 2,369 m with a direct view of the Pasterze glacier and the 3,798 m Grossglockner summit. It holds GROHAG's main visitor centre, a Swarovski-branded exhibition and a funicular that carries visitors down toward the glacier tongue. Large parking areas and multiple restaurants make it the most visited single stop on the route, and most guided day trips build their schedule around this viewpoint.

Best for: Best glacier and summit view

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2.

Edelweissspitze

Edelweissspitze is a viewing tower reached by a roughly 2 km side road from Fuscher Toerl, topping out at 2,571 m, the highest point of Austria's paved public road network. The 360-degree summit platform overlooks the Hohe Tauern range on a clear day, though parking is limited and the final bends are tighter than the main route. It suits early arrivals or motorcyclists more than large camper vans.

Best for: Highest point on the drive

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3.

Fuscher Toerl

Fuscher Toerl is the pass point at 2,428 m where the main route meets the Edelweissspitze turn-off, and it carries a panoramic restaurant with a large terrace. It sits roughly midway through the northern climb from Ferleiten and functions as the natural rest stop before either continuing to Hochtor or detouring up to Edelweissspitze. Its parking area is one of the largest along the whole road.

Best for: Best central rest stop

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4.

Pasterze Glacier

Pasterze glacier lies below the Grossglockner and is Austria's largest glacier by area, visible from the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe terrace and reachable more closely by the funicular that GROHAG operates there. Ongoing retreat has pushed the ice edge further from the historic viewing point each decade, and information panels along the funicular route mark past glacier extents. It is the single most photographed natural feature on the whole drive.

Best for: Best natural feature

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5.

Hochtor

Hochtor is the 2,504 m tunnel that marks the historic boundary between Salzburg and Carinthia and the highest point on the main through route. The 311 m bore sits on the central Alpine watershed, and a short walking path above the south portal gives a viewpoint back over the road's northern hairpins. It is more a through-point than a lingering stop, but most drivers pull into the adjoining car park at least briefly.

Best for: Best historic pass point

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6.

Fuscherlacke

Fuscherlacke is a small alpine lake beside the main road just north of Fuscher Toerl, sitting at roughly 2,262 m next to a national park information pavilion. Its still water gives a reflection view back toward the surrounding peaks, and the pavilion covers the geology and wildlife of the Hohe Tauern National Park. It works well as a short five-minute stop for travellers who do not want a long detour.

Best for: Best quick photo stop

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How is this ranking computed?

  • View quality and panorama: 35%
  • Elevation and landmark significance: 20%
  • Visitor facilities (parking, restaurant, toilets): 20%
  • Ease of access from the main route: 15%
  • National park and conservation interest: 10%

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