Grossglockner

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is one of Austria’s defining motorcycle roads — a 51 -kilometre journey deep into the Hohe Tauern National Park. The route climbs through 36 bends towards the high Alpine terrain around the Hochtor, with the road eventually reaching the 2,571 m Edelweiss-Spitze, the highest driveable point on the route.

What makes the Grossglockner special is the scale of the landscape around the road. Forested valleys gradually give way to open Alpine terrain, exposed mountain slopes and views towards some of the highest peaks in Austria. Near the top, the road feels less like a mountain connection and more like a route through the heart of the high Alps.

For riders, the appeal lies in the combination of flowing corners, elevation and constantly changing scenery. The road is engineered to be enjoyable to drive, but the altitude and mountain environment give every section its own character. The optional climb to the Edelweiss-Spitze adds another layer, with a narrow, cobbled road leading to a panoramic viewpoint surrounded by more than 30 three-thousand-metre peaks.

This is a road where the riding and the landscape compete for your attention. Stay focused through the corners, then stop and look up. The Grossglockner makes both worth doing.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is a high-alpine route, so conditions can change quickly and temperatures can be considerably lower near the summit than in the valleys. The road is also a managed toll road with seasonal opening and daily operating hours, so check current conditions before riding. During busy periods, traffic can be significant. If you ride to the Edelweiss-Spitze, be prepared for a narrower access road with sections of original cobblestones.

The Ride Beyond route follows the Grossglockner High Alpine Road through the Hohe Tauern, climbing from the lower valleys into increasingly open Alpine terrain. The road gradually builds in elevation, with a succession of bends leading towards the higher sections of the route and the Hochtor at around 2,504 m.

The Edelweiss-Spitze is the highest driveable point of the road at 2,571 m and is reached via a short access road from the main route. The final section is narrower and partly cobbled, but the summit rewards the detour with a 360-degree panorama towards more than 30 three-thousand-metre peaks.

Another defining stop is Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, at 2,369 m, where the road reaches a spectacular viewpoint towards the Grossglockner and the Pasterze Glacier. It gives the route a different character from the Edelweiss-Spitze, shifting the focus from the road itself to the scale of the surrounding mountains.

Ride the bends. Chase the altitude. Then take a moment to look beyond the road — this is the Grossglockner at its best.