-Europe.Austria.GrossGlockner-
Austria is a mountainous country with many high peaks resulting in many wondrous places for skiing in winter and hiking possibilities in summer. The highest mountain in the country is Großglockner with a height of 3,798 meters above sea level. The peak is situated within the Hohe Tauern National Park and ranks among the Top 10 highest in the European Alps.
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Table of Contents
Getting to GrossGlockner
By Car
The drive there is pleasant passing through green spaces and spotting the majestic mountain peaks. Speaking of which the car is the best way to travel there as it enables you to take your time and enjoy the amazing landscapes and villages along the way at your own pace.
I use Rentalcars.com which have insurance and liability included
You have to pay to drive the GrossGlockner High Alpine Road. It is usually open during the months from May till October. It could open earlier in April and stretch through November depending on the weather conditions for the road safety. You can pay at the toll booth. Check here for opening times and prices.
Discounts and offers come in the form of the Kärnten Card which you can get with either a weekly or season ticket. Electric vehicles have a reduced eco-ticket and places to charge up their vehicles for free.
With the Historic Glockner Bus
The oldtimer bus provides an additional experience travelling up the Alpine Road and stopping at viewpoints. The service runs in July and August on fixed days – recently Thursdays and Fridays: departure point at Zell Am See. It currently costs 75 Euros per /pax . Here is the link to the provider.
With the Tour Glockner Bus
This is a modern tour bus which goes from Pinzgau over Zell Am See up the Alpine Road to Kaiser Franz Josef Höhe. The tours are conducted by the National Park Rangers and running every Wednesday and Friday. The service starts sometime in May till September. For more information download from here
With the Public Postbus
The public bus plys the route from Heiligenblut to the Kaiser Franz Josef Höhe. This is a seasonal route and the tickets can be purchased from the bus driver. For the timetable and ticket prices check here
What to see and do on the way to Grossglockner
Heading towards the Grossglockner you pass through green valleys dotted with pretty villages with views of the huge mountains. Locals head for their favourite trails to cycle or hike with different terrain and length around.
Villages and Hiking Trails
Hiking is always a popular activity in the summer. There are trails with starting points from the villages. A famous one is the Heligenblut am Großglockner. There is a train station stop here which means you can bring your bicycle along. Check out this link for mountain bike and hiking trails.
Another village worth mentioning is Winklern. It is the gateway to the Hohe Tauern National Park the largest in Austria. Here you find hike trails as well: link
Grossglockner High Alpine Road
The toll road up the mountain starts not far from the village of Heiligenblut. There is no doubt that the view of the summits is amazing and breath-taking, the even better news is the road up known as the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is completely scenic and warrants a few admiring stops along the way.
Below is a short video for your enjoyment.
Viewpoint Stops
You will see indents along the road to stop and this normally indicates that there are some panoramic scenes to catch there.
Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe
This is the end of the road and a highlight of the road trip. There is a garage car park that is for free included in the toll price. Park your car and then go and enjoy the panorama waiting to unfold before you. And what a view here to see Austria’s highest peak the GrossGlockner and the Pasterze Glacier.
Visitor Center
A good place to start is the Visitor Center , if only to get some directions. It is an info point to also check on trails or guided tours. Here you can learn about the National Park Höhe Tauern and can sit through a short film about the Großglockner. There are exhibitions held here as well. To check which exhibitions are on display – check here . When we were there, we saw an exhibition of classic cars.
Pasterze Glacier
If you decide to go down to the Glacier, do allocate some time for the activity – to go down about 30 minutes from the Kaiser Franz Josefs Höhe and back up about an hour for normal fitness. There is a glacier railway that brings people up and down for an additional fee. From there are further trails should you choose to trek on, for example hike to the Glocknerhaus.
Wilhem-Swarovski-Observatory
Above the car park building is the trail to head on up to the Wilhem-Swarovski Observatory. It is a 10-minute walk on the trail with of course wonderful views. Here you might spot some ibexes and marmots.
Gamsgrubenweg Tunnel
Next to the visitor center, is the entrance to the tunnel. The tunnel brings you closer to the Pasterze Glacier and is currently only accessible till Tunnel 6 due to risk of falling rocks. Still it is a nice walk with some installations inside to create a mystical effect. Between each tunnel there are wonderful views with the Glacier and the mountains getting closer. A photo of us reaching Tunnel 6 below
Facilities:
Besides the Visitor Center, there are free restrooms to use as well as gift shops and 2 restaurants. The Freiwandeck Restaurant is a popular stop for visitors for getting a cup of coffee as it has amazing views of the glacier and the mountains. The other restaurant- Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe Panorama Restaurant is further down the road where the buses are parked I already mentioned the free car parking and currently the charging for electric cars are for free as well.
Conclusion
If you are in Austria, save a day with good weather to visit this place. For me, I have been here 3 times and it still beckons me back to explore more. Overall a visit to the Grossglockner high Alpine Road is a day trip that will make a lasting impression. The icing on top for me was spotting a family of marmots going about their business. If you spot them , try to give them space as we are the ones encroaching on their territory and home.
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Austria has such a gorgeous landscape. your pictures of the alpen glacier look stunning. Pity that the public bus service is cancelled now. It’s so much economic and environment friendly to travel by public transport.
The glacier and the surrounds looks amazing. I haven’t been to Austria yet. The photos are just what I think Austria would look like. Beautiful scenary, A shaped chalets, lush green mountains in summer. An amazing adventure thanks for sharing.
Wow! If I can describe this place in one word, I can say that it’s serene and this is exactly where I want to go right now to take relax and recharge. The glacier looks beautiful. Hope to visit really soon.
The Glacier looks beautiful!! Wish they had not closed down the public bus to Grosglockner, but glad there are tour options still available. (Though I would drive up instead) Glacial Railway seems like fun!! Would love to explore Winkler too, the town looks very pretty and quiet. 🙂
The view is absolutely amazing! Too bad that they stopped the bus service because it’s not only cheaper but also reduced the number of private cars going up. From your post, correct me if I’m wrong, you can only go by a tour bus or have to spend a night at guest houses participating in the program?
Wow! Thanks for the information on the National Park Card. I’ll make sure to stay in one of the participating hotels when I venture to Austria.
Since I’m not well versed with driving a car in Europe, I might have to choose that tour bus. Too bad the public buses were stopped.
Great pictures of you Adele, with the Alpen glacier. Austria is so beautiful. I have never been to the Alps yet. Großglockner High Alpine Road is actually very scenic. Loved to know about it here.
Thank you – I feel blessed to see this majestic sight.
I love Austrian Alps and have been to Innsbruck and nearby towns till German border. Großglockner looks amazing place for relaxed holidays with mountains and snowy glaciers. The sunny village of Winkler is very beautiful and a nice stop over too. Walking on Pasterze Glacier must be interesting.
This is a dreamy place, straight out of a romantic movie. I wonder if you can get a roofless vehicle to enjoy the scenic drive there. Good tips on the discount pass.. Would definitely want to consider staying in a place that helps with it. Loved the village hiking trails…. Am sure there would be so much to see along the way
I have driven in Austria before and I know how incredible the mountain roads are and what amazing scenery they go through. I have never been to GrossGlockner though, but now, after reading your post, I’d love to go. I can imagine how stunning driving on the road up to the glacier is. Interesting that you have to pay a toll in order to access the road. Good that it includes the car park though. I would love to see a marmot in the wild, I’ve never seen one before.
Wonderful post about the Grosglockner Alpine road. Actually I climbed Mount Großglockne, the hightest mountain in Austria. But I never did the drive along the road via the mountain pass. Reading you post and seeing you pictures brought it on the list of things to do! Thanks!
What a beautiful place to visit and you’ve been 3 times! I’ve never even heard of this glacier and we are just next in Italy. I think I’d like to try taking the public bus. Transport services in Austria are good and reliable so I’m sure I will have a great experience. I also appreciate the advice about the discount pass, I think I would consider taking it if I loved the place!
You are so fortunate to see Nature’s majestic beauty up close. I would certainly like to have a ride in the glacier railway. And then go to the observatory as well, that view looks breathtaking. Maybe,one day I shall see the Austrian Alps in real life. In India, electric cars are still limited to cosmopolitan cities, so it’s good to know that they have charging for these cars in the mountains of Austria. It would be quite an experience to see the marmots too.
We were sad we did not spend more time in the mountain region of Austria. We surely should have visited the highest mountain at Großglockner. Great to know there are lots of ways to visit even if we don’t rent a car. The small villages along the High Alpine Road sure are charming and worth stops. We sure would not miss visiting the glacier but we would probably take the railway. Definiltey a spot we would not miss on a return visit to Austria.
GrossGlockner is gorgeous and reminds me of Switzerland. I would love to take the historic bus — that sounds like such an experience while you’re there. It’s also nice that they have restaurants conveniently located. That’s always important. I need to get to Austria sometime soon — it’s been a while!
I think its exciting to explore it with the historic Glockner Bus. Hope they would be able to extend their service more often. If not, then we’ll have to make sure to schedule a trip in July or August. The view is really amazing. Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience.