Why you should holiday in Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse

Filled with natural wonders, this scenic route in SalzburgerLand is the breathtaking backdrop for a family summer break to treasure

Take a spin along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and you truly experience the high life in Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse. It’s one of the greatest drives in Europe – and it goes around the highest mountain in Austria. But this is only one of the many natural wonders of SalzburgerLand that’s waiting to be explored.

Austria's highest mountain

Over the course of 48km, the 36 twists and turns of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road take you higher into the Hohe Tauern National Park. As you pass the snow fields of Pasterze Glacier, you get more and more astonishing views of the soaring 3,798m peak of Grossglockner –Austria’s highest mountain. Stop for a break at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe viewpoint at 2,369m to see free exhibits at the visitors’ centre as well as some fabulous views, which just get better as you carry on to Edelweiss-Spitze. Here, at 2,571m, you’ll be at the highest point in Austria you can reach by car.

Along the way you’ll pass the Alpine Nature Show Museum, which features a cinema as well as the only exhibition in the world that focuses on Alpine ecology. Also look out for the exhibits on display at the High Gate Pass Sanctuary, which, like the Alpine Nature Show Museum, has a restaurant where you can stop for a hearty Austrian lunch.

Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Hikers can choose from several superb trails, including the Gamsgrube trail that starts at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe viewpoint and offers one compelling view after another. If you’ve got children in tow, stop at the Fusch Gate and let the kids stretch their legs in the adventure playground before following the Piffkar Nature Trail through Alpine meadows.

Krimml waterfalls

It’s not just the mountains that deserve the superlatives in the Hohe Tauern National Park. The Krimml Waterfalls are Austria’s highest – a magnificent spectacle as rushing waters plunge 380m to the valley below. It takes about 90 minutes to hike to the top, and the reward is a view that’s as powerful as the waterfall. You can also follow the paths to the viewpoints at the Lower Falls and the Middle Falls.

Don’t miss the House of Water exhibition at the Waterfall Centre, which includes watching marmots at the new WaterCinema and the chance to see the waterfalls through the lens of a Swarovski telescope. There’s also the Aquapark, where you don’t have to be a child to have fun in this beautiful green oasis. After a game of aqua football, rest your feet in the reviving cool waters of the Kneipp basin.

Visit austria.info/summer, salzburgerland.com and grossglockner.at to find out more about Austria’s SalzburgerLand