Grossglockner High Alpine Road Part II – Highest Peak in Eastern Alps

The Alps stretches across Europe from Slovenia on the east to the snowy peaks bordering France and Italy on the west. Some of the most scenic views in the Alps are enjoyed by traveling through famous mountain passes by car or train. One of the top 10 such passes is the ‘Grossglockner High Alpine Road’. In this second part of a two part blog, we will continue with our experience driving through this amazing mountain pass.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road connects the town of Fusch in the north to Heiligenblut in the south, crossing from Salzburg to Corinthia region through the High Tauern Mountains. In the midst of this mountain range is the peak Grossglockner, towering above 14,000 ft. surrounded by over 300 peaks above the 10k ft. elevation.

In the first part of our journey, as described in an earlier blog, we started from the lakeside town of Zell Am See, stopped by Fusch to fill up the car, then reached the highest point of the pass at Edelweissespitze for a nice lunch at the adjacent restaurant. For the second part of our journey we drove from EdelweisseSpitze to Kaiser Franz Joseph Observation Point.

The drive from Edelweissespitze, the highest point on the pass, heads south and gradually goes downhill through snowy hairpin turns. There are a few small lakes at base of some of the peaks with great photo opportunity. We stopped by one of these lakes to enjoy the view. The total distance to the Grossglockner viewpoint is about 20 km and takes 30-40 minutes during off season.

As with any mountain pass driving, observe caution and only park at designated areas when stopping for photos an scenic viewing on the High Alpine Road. Also keep in mind, even in summer, temperatures at this altitude (typically between 6000 and 8000 ft.) can be below or near freezing, so stay warm and watch for icy areas while walking or climbing rocks.

A view of a lake near Grossglockner from above

The Kaiser Franz Joseph Observation tower offers a grand view of Grossglockner, the highest peak of the Eastern Alps (approx. 14000 ft.) and the adjacent glacier. A Glacier lift system takes visitors to the glacier and side of the mountain. The observation building also offers a grand view, a walking trail, free parking garage, cafes and restroom facilities.