Distance
362 km
Duration
3 days
Climb
3,600 m
Rating
4.8 / 5
512 reviews
Grossglockner Highlands Loop — 3 Days.
Three days through the Austrian Alps at their most dramatic. Day 1 climbs the Grossglockner Hochalpenstraße — 48 km, 36 hairpins, Austria's highest mountain overhead — before descending to Zell am See. Day 2 threads the Salzkammergut lake district through Pass Lueg gorge to the medieval lakeside village of Hallstatt. Day 3 returns via the Gosau valley and the Dachstein glacier road before looping back to Salzburg through Mondsee. Every section is UNESCO-listed or national-park quality.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance362 km
Days3
Total climb3,600 m
Fuel stops2 along route
DifficultyModerate
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3 days, 3 moods.
A suggested split across 3 days with 16 waypoints to discover along the way.
SalzburgStart · Start from the old town. Fill up in the city — no fuel on the Hochalpenstraße itself.
Werfen — Hohenwerfen CastleScenic Point · The 11th-century castle perched above the Salzach gorge. Two-minute viewpoint stop — worth it.
Bruck an der GlocknerstraßeFuel Stop · Last fuel before the Hochalpenstraße toll gate. Open late May to early November — check before arriving.
Edelweißspitze (2,571 m)Scenic Point · The highest point reachable by motorcycle in Austria. 360° panorama — the Grossglockner's glaciated north face fills the horizon.
Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe — Pasterze GlacierScenic Point · The Pasterze is Austria's longest glacier. It has retreated 3 km in 100 years — the moraine walls below the road make this visible.
Zell am SeeOvernight · Alpine resort on a glacial lake backed by the Schmittenhöhe massif. The lakeside promenade at dusk is as good as it gets.
Pass Lueg — Salzach GorgeScenic Point · The Salzach carved a slot canyon here. The road hangs above the gorge on a ledge — one of Austria's great geological road moments.
Golling an der SalzachRestaurant · Morning coffee stop below the Golling waterfall. The falls are a 10-minute walk from the road.
Wolfgangsee — St. WolfgangScenic Point · The most famous lake in the Salzkammergut. The White Horse Inn (Weißes Rössl) inspired an operetta. The lake ferry crosses to St. Gilgen.
Bad IschlFuel Stop · Emperor Franz Joseph's summer residence for 60 years. The Zauner Konditorei (1832) makes the best Zaunerstollen in the world — mandatory stop.
HallstattOvernight · The most photographed village in Austria: 16th-century houses stacked on a cliff above a glacial lake. Book months ahead in summer.
Gosausee — Dachstein PanoramaScenic Point · The Gosau valley road ends at a lake with a perfect reflection of the Dachstein massif and its hanging glaciers.
Dachstein Road — Gjaidalm viewpointScenic Point · The panorama road toward the Dachstein cable car offers glacier views from the saddle. Clear days: take the cable car to 2,700 m.
AbtenauRestaurant · Lunch in this quiet market town before the final run to Salzburg. The Gasthof zur Post has a shaded terrace.
Mondsee village & lakeScenic Point · The yellow basilica was used for the wedding scene in The Sound of Music. Austria's warmest lake — 26°C in summer.
SalzburgEnd · Loop complete. The Augustinerbräu Klosterstube (1621) pours 1-litre steins of monastery beer from wooden barrels.
From riders.
512 verified rides logged on this route.
4.8/ 5
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512 verified rides
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