Grossglockner High Alpine Road Viewpoint
Austriaadventure

Großglockner High Alpine Road

Austria's most spectacular pass: 36 hairpins to 2,504m and the country's highest peak

Distance
45 mi
72 km
Driving
1 hr 54 min
excl. stops
Suggested
1 day
balanced split
Stops
5
curated

Distance and driving time are measured along the mapped route through the 5 stops listed below. Officially signed versions of famous routes often quote a longer figure, since they include promoted detours this line doesn't take.

Grossglockner High Alpine Road Viewpoint · Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Day by day

Distances are measured along the actual road geometry, not straight-line. Drive times exclude stops, traffic and ferry waits.

What the drive is like

This is a mountain drive. It reaches about 2,504 m near Grossglockner High Alpine Road and climbs around 2,647 m in total, so check the high roads are open before you set off.

Part of the drive follows the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, up to 2,504 m.

How high it goes

~2,504 m near Grossglockner High Alpine RoadBruck am SeeHeiligenblut · 70 km
Height above sea level along the driving route, measured at about 50 points. Total climb roughly 2,647 m.

Passes and famous roads

From the 500-plus roads drivers collect in the Plan Your Road Trips app.

Famous road · On the route

Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Summit
2,504 m summit
Hairpins
36 hairpins

Famous road · 22 km off the route

Felbertauern Road

Before you go

Best time to drive it

June to September

The road is a toll road that usually opens in early May and closes in late October or early November, depending on snow. Check the official road status before you go.

Indicative costs

  • Fuel (40 mpg petrol)€8
  • TollsFree
  • Vignette€12 sticker required

Fuel prices move constantly: treat these as a range, not a quote.

Driving rules

Emission zones, mandatory equipment and licence requirements change country by country, and in 2026 several of them changed mid-year.

Driving in Austria

Every stop on the Großglockner High Alpine Road

  1. Bruck am See

    Start

  2. Edelweißspitze

    +19 km from the last stop

  3. Hochtor Pass

    +20 km from the last stop

  4. Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe

    +15 km from the last stop

  5. Heiligenblut

    +16 km from the last stop

Worth a detour

Curated places within 25 km of the road.

Show 5 more

  • Heiligenblut

    photogenic

    The Gothic spire of the St. Vincent pilgrimage church framed against the Grossglockner is one of the Alps' classic photographs; the village anchors the southern ramp of the High Alpine Road.

  • Felbertauern Road

    famous road

    A year-round toll road with a summit tunnel through the Hohe Tauern, the reliable winter alternative when the Grossglockner is shut.

  • Sigmund Thun Klamm

    natural wonder

    A wooden walkway threads a mossy gorge below the Kaprun reservoirs, a short and easy stop off the Zell am See road.

  • Kaprun High Mountain Reservoirs

    scenic viewpoint

    Two dammed lakes high above Kaprun, reached by bus and inclined lift rather than by car, ringed by the Hohe Tauern peaks.

  • Grossglockner High Alpine Road

    famous road

    Austria's toll-road showpiece: 36 bends to 2,504m at the Hochtor, with the Franz-Josefs-Hohe spur facing the glacier.

Common questions about the Großglockner High Alpine Road

How long does the Großglockner High Alpine Road take?

The driving itself is about 1 hr 54 min across 45 miles (72 km). Most people spread it over 1 day: the day-by-day breakdown on this page splits it into balanced stretches rather than equal ones, so no single day is all driving.

How many miles is the Großglockner High Alpine Road?

45 miles, or 72 km, measured along the actual road rather than straight-line between towns.

When is the best time to drive the Großglockner High Alpine Road?

June to September. The road is a toll road that usually opens in early May and closes in late October or early November, depending on snow. Check the official road status before you go.

What does the Großglockner High Alpine Road cost in fuel?

Roughly €8 in fuel for a petrol car averaging 40 mpg. Motorways on this route are toll-free. €12 sticker required. Indicative only: fuel prices move.

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