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Sevice point Hochmais with a view of the Grossglockner

An awesome daytrip

Daytrip Grossglockner 

From Salzburg to Carinthia on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Reach the pay desk Ferleiten from Salzburg in approx. 1.5 hours via the Tauern Autobahn A 10 and the Bundesstrasse B 311. Start your individual mountain fun here. We will introduce you to six of the most popular destinations along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road for your daytrip. The crowning finale of the daytrip is the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, but more on that later! It’s up to you whether you take the same route back to Salzburg or continue driving to Heiligenblut. Who knows, your daytrip might even turn into a short holiday.
 

The six best stops for your daytrip in Austria

Numerous information points, exhibitions, museums and themed and panoramic trails along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road are waiting to be discovered by you. Choose your personal focus from among the twelve adventure worlds depending on your interests. Our suggested daytrip introduces you to the top 6 destinations along the popular mountain road!


Visitor Centre Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe daily open from 10.00 am to 5.00 pm, all other exhibitions & shops from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Stage 1: Haus Alpine nature exhibitions at the “Oberes Nassfeld”, 2,260 m

You absolutely must visit this unique exhibition about alpine ecology at the stone-wall construction camp dating back to when the Grossglockner High Alpine Road was under construction. Things worth seeing include the exhibition “Kristalle – Schatz der Hohen Tauern” (Eng. “Crystals – Treasures of the High Tauern”, the Murmi marmot show and the educational plant trail “Welt der Flechten im Hochgebirge” (Eng. “World of Lichen in the High Mountains”).

 

Stage 2: Edelweissspitze with 360° panorama

Reach the highest point of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road via the access road, which branches off the main road. The 360* panoramic vantage point allows your gaze to wander over more than thirty 3,000 metre peaks – and even the north side of the Grossglockner.

Stage 3: Fuscher Lacke

Return to the main road from the Edelweissspitze and drive on to the small mountain lake and to an original road maintenance workers’ booth that houses the exhibition “Bau der Strasse” (Eng. “Construction of the Road”).

Stage 4: Hochtor – apex and provincial border 

In olden times, high and exposed spots were thought to be gateways to the underworld. The Hochtor underworld consists of a tunnel with the provincial border between Salzburg and Carinthia running through its middle. The exhibition Passheiligtum Hochtor (Engl. “Hochtor Pass Sanctuary”) creates mystical moments. Cool off with a snowball fight, more often than not even possible in midsummer.

Stage 5: Schöneck – larch forest and flowery glory

Depending on the season, a see of colourful flowers and light green or golden larches are waiting for you on the south side of the Grossglockner. Display boards help you to identify the plants, while the playground explains how an egg becomes a butterfly in a manner that is appropriate for children. Our tip for families!

Stage 6: Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, simply uplifting 

The vantage station, which the Emperor himself visited, thereby giving it its name, is the final destination of your daytrip. Park the car in the free underground car park and enjoy the view of Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner, which towers above the 8 km Pasterze with a total height of 3,798 m. The snow-covered Johannisberg greets you from the end of the glacial lobe. Now you can go on to discover the modern visitors’ centre with its exhibitions, observe ibexes at the Swarovski look-out or embark on a journey to the Gamsgrubeor onto the glacier.

From now on, the Gamsgrubenweg is only accessible up to the tunnel 6. The further path is closed for general inspection due to the danger of falling rocks. Only experienced alpinists with protective equipment (helmets etc.) can embark on continuous mountain routes from here at their own risk.

The route via Hofmannsweg is also closed.

The Carinthia National Park Hohe Tauern offers guided tours from July to September daily starting from 11 o’clock. These guided tours continue with a changed route.
Phone: +43 4825 6161


It’s also worth driving back towards Salzburg on the same route. The change in perspective affords you several views that will turn your return drive into an impressive experience. Alternatively, continue driving to Heiligenblut and visit the House of Ibex there.

 

The King and His Throne

The adventure exhibition lets you track the Alpine ibex through seven exhibition rooms over three levels. Walk across the sheer ‘rock face’ and find out more about the high-mountain habitat and all its facets. The seasonal and daytime migrations of the mighty Alpine ibex are recreated just as authentically as the continual struggle for survival in high-mountain habitats, all of which usually remains hidden from us as human beings. Besides numerous models and interactive games, the exhibition also offers cinematic flights of fancy. Indeed, state-of-the-art technology invites you to get to know famous mountain formations from the eagle’s perspective and to experience large-scale, small-scale and micro-habitats up close.

More information on the website.


You’d like to learn more about the sights along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road? Then you should discover the twelve adventure worlds on the Glockner!
Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe with a view at the glacier
Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Hoehe
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