The Alps, one of world’s famous mountain range, snakes across Europe from the hills of Hungary and Slovenia on the east to the snowy peaks bordering France and Italy on the west. Some of the most scenic views in the Alps can be enjoyed by traveling through famous mountain passes. One of the top 10 such passes is the ‘Grossglockner High Alpine Road’ located near the highest peak of the Eastern Alps. In this two part blog, we will summarize our experience driving through this amazing mountain pass.
The High Tauern Mountain Range stretches across south eastern part of Austrian Alps with hundreds of peaks above 2500 meters (above 8000 ft.). The Austrian provinces of Salzburg, Corinthia and Tirol shares this mountains range with many scenic mountain towns and ski resorts spread across the Eastern Alps.
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road connects the town of Fusch in the north to Hellingbut in the south, crossing from Salzburg to Corinthia region through the High Tauern Mountains.
The highest point of the road is at the peak named EdelweisseSpitze at an altitude near 8400 ft. Our journey begins from the scenic town of Zell Am See, located near lake Zell. Its a popular resort town on the highway B311 that connects cities like Salzburg and St. Johann in northwest Austria to the mountain towns and villages.
For the first part of our journey we planned to stop by Fusch to fill up the car’s tank before climbing up the pass and stopping at EdelweisseSpitze rest area for lunch.
We were using a 2022 Mini Countryman with pretty good mileage, but as a precaution while climbing at high altitude, we needed the tank to be full as there are no refilling station in the pass and the rescue service trucks on the pass can take up to 4 hours to reach stranded travelers.
As with any such excursions, its always important to ensure you have standard provisions in case of emergencies including wireless device with a good network that can use offline navigation maps, emergency roadside sign, jacket and reserve tire in the car, and a supply of warm clothing, water and snacks such as nuts and bars.
The drive from Zell Am See to Fusch is scenic with lush green hills and view of the snowy mountains at higher altitude behind them. Without traffic, the drive takes about 20 mins and there are multiple gas stations in town for a pit stop and refill.
Next, we started the climb as the mountains around us started to change the view. The entrance to the pass is a few kilometer uphill from Fusch and there were several warning signs reminding us to have a full tank before taking the pass. Once, we reached the entrance, we purchased the daily pass that is good for multiple entries. Both credit card and cash (Euros) are accepted.
We were driving here in early summer, first week of June. But the snowy mountains started emerging within a few kilometers after the pass entrance. Then came the exciting hairpin turns. I was quiet glad to use a Mini, known for its cornering ability, while still maintaining a decent speed, so we don’t slow down traffic behind us.
Although the drive from Fusch to Edelweissespitze is only about 22 km, you will notice a steady decline of fuel level the higher you climb. This is not a cause for concern, as long as you are not pushing the car to go too fast uphill. Most modern cars will show the fuel level as an estimate adjusted to the driving terrain, so this will greatly fluctuate and will hardly use any fuel when the car goes downhill. Modern cars with regenerative breaking technology will also gain back considerable amount of fuel going downhill.
Near Edelweissespitze, we took the exit from the pass to the narrow drive up to the peak. There is a wonderful surround view observation tower on the peak next to a spacious parking lot. After visiting the peak, we headed down a few hundred yards to the ‘Edelweissespitze Hut’ restaurant for some delicious Alpine mountain food. The view from this restaurant is another treat and they also have overnight stay accommodation.
We conclude here the first part of our journey. And now for the visual experience! Play the video below to see the whole story of our drive on ‘Grossglockner High Alpine Road’ Part I. And if you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to our youtube channel for shorts, videos and podcasts with new content launching daily!
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