Feelings of elation, times 4 -
to the four loveliest Alpine passes in Austria!Anyone who wants to head up high in Austria and who values experiences in natural surroundings and legendary views, definitely ought to head out on an excursion to one of the four loveliest Alpine roads in Austria! Whether it is the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Gerlos Alpine Road, Nockalm Road or Villach Alpine Road – feelings of elation are included at all of them!
Four view-packed roads that take you a step closer to heaven
Four Alpine roads provide mountains of elation, with many different features. There are dreamy natural landscapes: thundering waterfalls, flower-filled Alpine meadows and snow-covered summits. Then there are encounters with animals of course: including marmots, butterflies, eagles, ibex and the like. The fact is, on all four experience roads you get a little bit closer to heaven, with each and every turn!
Grossglockner High Alpine Road: King of the Alpine Roads!
Grossglockner High Alpine Road (verlinken auf Website GGHS) is regarded as one of the loveliest panoramic roads in the world – at any rate, it is one of the three most visited excursion destinations in Austria! On a length of 48 kilometres, 36 artistically designed bends, planned by ingenious road builder Franz Wallack, head right into the heart of the Hohe Tauern National Park. The end point of the road is Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe (2369 m) high above the Pasterze, the longest glacier in the East Alps, right at the foot of the highest mountain in Austria, the Grossglockner. The highest driveable point of the road is Edelweiss Spitze at 2571 metres. From here you enjoy uninterrupted views to over 30 three-thousand metre mountains! A sight that moves mountains …
So much to explore right on the high Alpine road
It is not just breath-taking views and unique natural experiences that you will find along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, there are numerous exciting indoor and outdoor exhibitions too, and information points, play areas, walking and hiking paths, and of course cosy Alpine inns and restaurants, which take care of your nutritional needs.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is open from the start of May until the start of November
Gerlos Alpine Road – the wild and romantic one
Like Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Gerlos Alpine Road, in the west of the Salzburg district of Pinzgau, was also designed by Franz Wallack – a master in harmoniously bringing together nature and roads! Eleven kilometres of road with eight switchbacks and perfect bends snake their way up 558 metres of ascent, through the picturesque meadows and woodlands of Gerlosplatte. Incidentally, from every single car park along the Gerlos Alpine Road you can enjoy views to Krimml Waterfalls – Europe’s biggest waterfalls.
Gerlos Alpine Road is open year-round.
Nockalm Road: a gentle Alpine road for connoisseurs & nature lovers
In 52 switchbacks and via numerous twists and turns, 34 kilometre Nockalm Road proceeds via gentle Alpine meadows, passing the pink blossoms of the Alpine rose and light larch woodlands. Time and again you get to enjoy spectacular views to the mountains in Nockberge Biosphere Park. The Nockberge get their name from the shape of the rockfaces, which look like ‘Nocken’ (dumplings) – a Carinthian speciality. Along the route there are also numerous exhibitions, play areas, short walks and unforgettable mountain hikes.
The Nockalm Road is open from the start of May until the end of October.
Villach Alpine Road: a genuine Carinthian highlight!
16.5 kilometres in length, 1200 metres ascent, the oldest conservation area in Carinthia – these are the facts about Villach Alpine Road (verlinken auf Website Villacher Alpenstraße), which proceeds from Villach-Möltschach to the Dobratsch (1732 m). Yet this panoramic road in the Dobratsch Nature Park has even more to offer! Namely, dreamy views to impressive mountain ranges in Slovenia and Italy, the Julian Alps, and to the impressive south side of the Dobratsch, as well as a fantastic all-round view to the town of Villach. Leisurely hikes across flower-strewn Alpine meadows await along the road, as do countless pleasure-filled moments in the homely inns. In short: you get to enjoy unforgettable memories!
The Villach Alpine Road is open year-round from the middle of April until the middle of November. A fee is payable to use it.