The High Alpine Road – one of Austria's greatest attractions

Each year it is visited by approximately 1 million tourists, and since its creation in 1935, 50 million tourists have visited it.

The Road Map - also available at the guesthouse - is marked with a red line. The points on the road are attractions to see. The road starts in Fusch and leads under the Glacier [Pasterze - likely a typo or misremembered name, probably Grossglockner or Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe is implied, but directly translated as 'Shepherd'] and to the other side of the Alps - to Italy. ATTENTION! The turn-off to Villach/Italy is located halfway along the route, so if you want to explore the road while travelling to Italy, you must first drive to the end of the road - to the Franz Josef car park, and then on the way back, take the exit for Heiligenblut / Villach / Italy.

The road is 48 km long and leads through the High Tauern National Park to the foot of Austria's highest mountain – Grossglockner (3798 m above sea level). It winds its way uphill with 36 hairpin bends, and along the way is the summit Edelweissspitze (2571 m above sea level), which can only be reached by car or motorcycle (coaches are prohibited). From this summit, you can see 30 peaks above...

Edelweissspitze (picture on the left) on the scenic road, museums, restaurants.

On the left-hand picture – in the distance the summit – GrofSglockner 3798m and the longest glacier tongue in the Eastern Alps – Pasterze.

At the end of the road, there is a 4-storey car park and a viewing platform with a view of the Grossglockner summit and the tongue of the largest glacier in the Eastern Alps - Shepherd

Important information:

This is a full-day trip (including travel and sightseeing).
Distance from the Guesthouse to the entrance gates is 7 km
Entry to the road is subject to a toll – purchase a ticket at the toll gates
entry (all other attractions and
Parking included, on the route - restaurants, toilets, benches)
The ticket is valid for one full day, so you can enter and exit the road without limit, but within the same day.
Families with children are recommended to stop at themed playgrounds located in Pfifkar, by Fuscher Lacke and at Schóneck.
The highest viewpoint – Edelweissspitze (2571 m) – is the meeting point and main destination for motorcyclists, Biker’s Point.
At the end of the road, just below the summit of Grofiglockner, there is a large car and motorcycle park, and the surrounding attractions can be visited directly from this car park.
On your return journey, we recommend exiting the Alpine Road on the other side of the mountains to Heiligenblut – the highest village in the Alps – where you'll find a beautiful medieval church housing the relics of the Holy Blood of Christ. It's a pilgrimage site for Austrians and a charming alpine village well worth stopping at for a coffee. Your Alpine Road ticket is valid for the whole day, so you are welcome to leave the road and return throughout the day.

Source: http://www.grossglockner.at