# Hohe Tauern A national park spread across Salzburg, the Tyrol and Carinthia, with the Grossglockner (3,798 m), the roof of Austria. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road crosses it and usually opens from May to late October. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/austria/carinthia/hohe-tauern · Revisado: 2026-11-12 ## How to get there from Spain Fly to Salzburg, Munich or Innsbruck and hire a car: here it is almost essential. From Salzburg you reach the northern toll gate of the Grossglockner road, at Fusch, in a little over an hour. Krimml is to the west, via the Salzach valley or via the Gerlos road if you come from Innsbruck. Without a car, the Glocknerbus runs from the villages on the Salzburg side in summer. ## Getting around the park The national park is huge and its highlights are far apart: the Grossglockner road, between Fusch and Heiligenblut, and the Krimml waterfalls, to the west, a good hour's drive away. Do each one on a different day. The road is only open from early May to early November and driving at night is prohibited. ## Crowds and what to book In July and August there is a lot of traffic in the middle hours of the day, especially at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe: go in early. You do not need to book the toll, though you can buy it online. The Glocknerbus does need booking, up to 15:00 the day before. ## Where to eat and sleep On the road, the Edelweisshütte serves hot food from 9:00 to 18:30 at the top of the Edelweiss-Spitze, and the Fuschertörl restaurant serves Kaiserschmarren on the bend below until 18:00. Both open only when the road is open. In Krimml, walk up to eat at the Krimmler Tauernhaus, an inn with no road access and produce from its own farm. To sleep on the Salzburg side, the Hotel Lampenhäusl, in Fusch, is close to the northern ticket office. In Heiligenblut, to the south, there is the Nationalpark Lodge Großglockner, with a pool and spa beside the church, and the Nationalpark Camping, open all year. ## Dónde está - Zonas: Alps - Cerca: Dolomites (a 62.1 km · Italy), Berchtesgaden (a 66.8 km · Germany), Salzkammergut (a 84.3 km), Salzburg (a 85.8 km) ## Qué hacer - **Grossglockner High Alpine Road, from Fusch to Heiligenblut** (8 h · 48 km · Cars and motorbikes; bikes too · Desde 46.5 € by car, one day): What it is The Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße is Austria's best-known mountain road. It links Fusch, in Salzburg, with Heiligenblut, in Carinthia: 48 kilometres and 36 hairpin bends crossing the Alpine watershed at the Hochtor, at 2,504 m. It was designed by the engineer Franz Wallack, built between 1930 and 1935 and opened on 3 August 1935. It has two branches: the one to the Edelweiss-Spitze, the highest point you can reach by car (2,571 m), and the glacier road, which ends at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, facing the Grossglockner (3,798 m). It is not a route for getting from one valley to another: it is the excursion. You cross four bands of vegetation, from forest to rock and ice, and stop every few kilometres. Allow a whole day. The route, north to south All the exhibitions along the road are free with the toll. They are open from 9 to 17; the visitor centre at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, from 10 to 17. Season and hours The road opens from early May to early November and is closed in winter because of snow; reopening in 2027 is planned for early May. The hours change by month: Until 31 May: from 6:00 to 20:00 (last entry at 19:15). From 1 June to 31 August: from 5:30 to 21:00 (last entry at 20:15). From 1 September: from 6:00 to 19:30 (last entry at 18:45). Driving outside those hours is prohibited. You also cannot camp beside the road, even in a campervan. Toll 2026 prices for one day: Car: €46.50; from 18:00, €36.50. Electric car: €40. Motorbike: €36.50; from 18:00, €30. Second day: €17.50 more. Return trip combined with the Felbertauernstraße: €56 by car. Campervans up to 3,500 kg pay as a car. You can buy the ticket at the ticket offices or in the road's online shop; you do not need to book. Parking at Ferleiten costs €4 for four hours and €10 for the day. By motorbike, campervan and bike By motorbike it is one of the classic routes of the Alps; at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe there are lockers for storing your helmet and gear. In a campervan you can drive up without trouble, but without staying overnight on the road. By bike, the road company recommends starting before 8:00 or after 15:00 to avoid the traffic, not riding side by side, descending slowly and not cutting the bends. At Ferleiten it sells voluntary accident insurance for €4 a day. The maximum gradient is 12% on both slopes. With children and a dog With children it works well in stages: the Haus Alpine Naturschau, the Käfertal walk and the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe viewpoint, where with luck you will see marmots. Dogs may enter the exhibitions on a lead, except the visitor centre at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe. Throughout the national park a lead is compulsory. If the weather changes Up there it can snow in midsummer and fog covers the Grossglockner in minutes. Check the webcams on the official website before setting out and drive in low gears on the descent so as not to overheat the brakes. - **Krimml Waterfalls on the Wasserfallweg** (3 h · 4.2 km · Families; the lower part, with a pushchair · Desde 9 € adult): What it is The Krimml Waterfalls are the highest in Austria: the Krimmler Ache river falls 380 metres in three drops as it leaves its valley, above the village of Krimml, at the western end of the Hohe Tauern National Park. The upper drop is 140 m; after an almost flat stretch, the middle one falls another 100 m, and the lower one, the Achenfall, more than 140 m. They have been part of the national park since 1983 and in 1967 the Council of Europe awarded them the European Diploma for Protected Areas. Beside them climbs the Wasserfallweg, the trail maintained by the Warnsdorf-Krimml section of the Austrian Alpine Club (ÖAV). The first stepped path to the lower fall opened in 1835 for travellers and Romantic painters. The trail, stage by stage The Wasserfallweg is 4.15 km long and climbs 431 m. It is well surfaced and zigzags through woodland with ten balconies over the water. Allow two to three hours to do the whole thing without rushing. Hours and admission According to the ÖAV's 2026 leaflet, the trail is open from early May to late October, every day from 8:00 to 18:00. Prices: Adults: €9. Children aged 6 to 15: €4.50. Combined ticket with the WasserWelten Krimml (a water centre with exhibitions and aquapark): €15.90 adults and €7.90 children. It includes the P4 car park and is sold only at the WasserWelten ticket office. The fee pays for maintaining the path, the toilets, including accessible ones, and protection of the area. You do not need to book. Getting there and parking Krimml is at the head of the Salzach valley, west of Zell am See, following the river upstream. If you come from Innsbruck or the Zillertal, you arrive by the Gerlos Alpine road. Beside the falls there are pay car parks for cars and coaches, P1 to P4, and a bus and taxi stop at the entrance. Best time and time of day The flow depends on the snowmelt: in June and July the river carries 30 to 40 times the water of February, and the day's peak arrives at night, between 21:00 and 24:00, because the water takes hours to come down from the glacier. Go first thing to have the viewpoints to yourself. With children and facilities With small children, stay on the lower part: the Kürsingerplatz and the information point, which has a water game with piano keys to step on. With a pushchair you can reach the Kürsingerplatz; higher up there are slopes and steps. Along the way you have the Gasthof Richter, the Gasthaus Hanke, the Gasthaus Schönangerl and kiosks. The free Krimml Waters app suggests a guided route of about two hours along the trail and the village. With a dog, remember that in the national park a lead is compulsory. - **Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe and the Pasterze glacier** (2 h · 1.4 km · All ages · Included in the road toll): What it is The Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe is the end of the glacier road, the branch of the Grossglockner road that leaves from the Carinthian side. You are at 2,369 m, with the Grossglockner (3,798 m), the highest mountain in Austria, straight ahead, and the Pasterze glacier below. It owes its name to the visit of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth in 1856. It is the longest stop of the day and the busiest. What to see The viewpoint. From the edge you see the tongue of the Pasterze, the glacier at the foot of the Grossglockner. Its retreat, increasingly linked to human activity as the centre itself explains, is visible to the naked eye. The Kaiser Franz Josef panoramic trail. An easy circuit of about 1.4 km to the Kaiserstein viewpoint, with panels about the emperor and Sisi. Along the way, with luck, you see marmots, ibex, chamois and eagles. Allow an hour. The Nationalpark Crystal Grossglockner viewing tower. About a 10-minute walk from the car park; open from 10 to 16. The visitor centre. About 1,500 m² on five floors: the national park information centre with a projection about the Hohe Tauern, the Gletscher.Leben exhibition, with a 6,000-year-old Swiss pine found on the Pasterze, another on women in mountaineering, a cinema with a giant LED screen and the highest car and motorbike exhibition in Austria, with vehicles from 1926. It is open every day from 10 to 17 and admission is included in the toll. Walks from here Gletscherweg, the descent to the glacier. A secured alpine path to the Pasterze: about 30 minutes down and an hour back up. It requires mountain footwear. The signs along the path show how much the glacier has shrunk. Pasterzenweg. From the glacier tongue to the Glocknerhaus, an hour and a half more. Gamsgrubenweg. A panoramic trail through tunnels towards the Wasserfallwinkl. At present it can only be walked as far as tunnel 6; the last tunnel requires a helmet and safety equipment and is done at your own risk. Alpe-Adria-Trail. The great trail to the Adriatic starts here, with stages of about 20 km. Walk with a ranger From mid-July to mid-September, the national park rangers lead a free guided walk along the panoramic trail every day, at 10:30 and 13:30. It lasts an hour. Hours, price and parking The Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe can only be visited when the road is open, from early May to early November. You pay nothing apart from the toll: €46.50 per car per day in 2026. Parking is free, with spaces also along the branch road as far as the Hoher Sattel and charging points for electric cars. Motorcyclists have lockers for their gear. For eating there is the Gletscherrestaurant Freiwandeck, with a terrace, the Panorama Restaurant, with a lift, the Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Haus, reached on foot along the panoramic trail, and a kiosk at the Kaiserstein. Accessibility, children and dogs The visitor centre has a lift to all floors and there is an accessible toilet next to it. With small children the panoramic trail works well, without difficulty, as does looking for marmots; leave the Gletscherweg for older ones. Dogs may go on a lead along the paths, but not into the visitor centre. If the weather changes In low cloud the Grossglockner disappears in minutes. Check the webcam on the road's website before going up, and if it is foggy at the top, spend the time in the visitor centre. Even in summer it can be cold and snow: bring a coat. - **Edelweiss-Spitze, the highest point on the road** (1 h · All ages · Included in the road toll): What it is The Edelweiss-Spitze, at 2,571 m, is the highest point you can reach on the Grossglockner road. It is a rounded summit above the Fuschertörl, on the Salzburg side, with a car park, an oval stone viewing tower and, a little below, the Edelweisshütte, a mountain hut with a restaurant and rooms. The name was chosen by Franz Wallack, the road's engineer, when he built the branch in the 1930s; before that the summit was called Poneck or Leitenkogel. What you see In good weather, from the tower you can count 37 peaks of more than 3,000 metres and 19 glaciers. To the south you have the Grossglockner massif, with the Brennkogel, the Fuscherkarkopf and the Hohe Dock; to the north, the Fusch valley as far as the Zell lake. Just below you see the bends of the road climbing towards the Fuschertörl, which is the classic photo of the road. In the tower there are panels about the car and motorbike races held on the road in the 1930s. How to get up There are two ways: On foot from the Fuschertörl. Beside the Fuschertörl restaurant (2,428 m) a short, steep path starts that reaches the top in about 30 minutes. By car or motorbike on the branch road. The Edelweiss-Spitze road branches off at the Fuschertörl and climbs about 1.6 km on a cobbled surface to the summit car park, where there is a Bikers Point for motorcyclists. Price and season You pay nothing extra: the climb is included in the road toll (€46.50 per car per day in 2026). You can go up while the road is open, from early May to early November, within its hours. Driving outside them is prohibited. A longer route If you want to walk further, from the Edelweiss-Spitze car park starts the route to the Baumgartlkopf: 4.7 km, about 2 hours and 785 m of ascent, according to the road company. It is already a mountain path: boots, water and a weather forecast. When to go Go first thing or in the late afternoon, when there is less traffic on the road. With low cloud you see nothing; the summit has a live webcam and the road's website publishes the images. It is cold up there even in August: bring an extra layer. With children and a dog The walking path is short but steep; with small children, it is better to drive up and stay at the tower. With a dog, a lead: it is compulsory throughout the national park. - **Walk to the Käfertal and the Oberstattalm from Ferleiten** (40 min · Families with small children · Free; Ferleiten parking from €4): What it is The Käfertal is the valley that opens up behind Ferleiten, on the Salzburg side of the Grossglockner road, next to the north ticket office. Two easy walks run through it: the short, 20-minute one to the Oberstattalm hut, and the Käfertal nature trail, of about 4 km, which goes deeper into the valley towards the Rotmoos bog. It is the stop for stretching your legs before starting the bends, and the one that works best with small children on the whole road. The walk to the Oberstattalm It starts at the Fusch/Ferleiten ticket office. A pushchair-friendly path reaches the Oberstattalm in about 20 minutes, a pasture hut with a large play area dedicated to marmots. Have something to drink, let the children play and return the same way. With the stop, allow a good hour. The Käfertal nature trail If you want more, the Naturerlebnisweg Käfertal starts from the Gasthof Tauernhaus Ferleiten: about 4 km through the valley, almost flat, with information stations, benches and panels. What children look forward to most is the water play area, with Kneipp installations for dipping your feet and a raft. At the far end is the Rotmoos, a protected bog, one of the most valuable mountain wetlands in Salzburg. You return the same way. Anyone who wants to climb a bit more can continue in zigzags to the Trauneralm, already with some ascent: look at the route on the map before setting out. Getting there and parking Ferleiten is in the Fusch valley, at the foot of the road, at the first point of the road if you come from Zell am See or Bruck. Park in the Ferleiten car park, next to the ticket office: it costs €4 for four hours, €6 for six hours and €10 for the day, with a maximum of 48 hours. Without a car, the Glocknerbus stops at the Ferleiten toll at 9:40. At the Ferleiten ticket office there is an accessible toilet. When to go The road company presents the walk within its season, from early May to early November. Go first thing, before the queue of cars grows at the ticket office: the valley is quieter and it is easier to see marmots. With children and a dog It is the option for a day with children under six: short distances, pushchair-friendly and games at the end. If you are going to do the whole road that same day, make the long stop here and leave the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe for the viewpoint. Dogs can come, but on a lead: it is compulsory throughout the national park. If you meet livestock on the pastures, pass slowly with the lead short and do not approach animals with young. If the weather changes The Käfertal is much lower than the pass. It is a plan for a day of high cloud, when you cannot see the Grossglockner up there and it is not worth paying the toll. - **Glocknerbus, the Grossglockner road without driving** (8 h · Anyone who does not want to drive the bends · From €45 adults and €27 children (2026 prices)): What it is The Glocknerbus is an excursion coach that climbs the Grossglockner road to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe and returns in the afternoon. It is promoted by the road company, Grossglockner Hochalpenstraßen AG, and operated by the agency PRI Tours, of Bruck an der Großglocknerstraße. It travels with a Hohe Tauern National Park ranger who explains the animals and plants of each level of the mountain along the way. It suits you if you do not want to drive the 36 bends, if you are travelling without a car or if you prefer to look at the scenery instead of the road. When it runs In 2027 it runs from 25 May to 28 September, every Tuesday, and in July and August also on Thursdays. There is no service on other days. Stops and times It picks up passengers in the villages on the Salzburg side. Departure times: Kaprun, JUFA stop: 8:30. Maiskogel, Baumbar stop: 8:40. Zell am See, indoor swimming pool car park: 9:00. Schüttdorf, stop in front of the Billa: 9:10. Bruck, Straßenmeisterei: 9:20. Fusch, centre stop: 9:35. Ferleiten toll: 9:40. The return leaves the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe at 15:00 and reaches Zell am See at about 16:30. At the top you have until 15:00 for the panoramic walk, the visitor centre and lunch. Including travel, the day lasts about seven and a half hours from Zell am See. Price The 2027 fares have not yet been published. In 2026 it cost: Adults: from €45. Children aged 4 to 15: from €27. One way only: from €32.50. Dog: €10. Bicycle, on request: €11. The price includes the coach, the road ticket and the ranger. With the Nationalpark Sommercard, the Zell am See-Kaprun Card or the guest card of Bruck and Fusch you get a 10% discount. How to book Book online from the Glocknerbus page on the road's website, which links to the PRI Tours system, until 15:00 the day before. You can also call PRI Tours (+43 6545 20555-0). The one-way ticket The one-way fare is useful if you want to continue on your own from the top. At the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe the Alpe-Adria-Trail begins, whose stages are around 20 km and six hours, and those who go up with a bicycle can cycle down. Bike transport is requested when booking. What to bring At the top you are at 2,369 m: bring a coat, sunglasses and walking shoes, even if it is warm in the valley. At the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe there are restaurants, so you do not need to bring food. ## Dónde comer - **Edelweisshütte, on the Edelweiss-Spitze** (Restaurant, Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße, €€). Qué pedir: a Wiener Schnitzel or an Almjause on the terrace, and for dessert the apple strudel with vanilla sauce, the dish the house highlights most. - **Grossglockner-Restaurant Fuschertörl** (Restaurant, Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße, €€). Qué pedir: Kaiserschmarren, or a Kaspressknödel soup if it is cold; with a coffee, the apple strudel. - **Krimmler Tauernhaus** (Restaurant, Krimml, €€). Qué pedir: some of its grass-fed beef or the house pork, and try the South Tyrolean-style Graukäse, made in its own cheese dairy. ## As a family: Bends, marmots and waterfalls The Hohe Tauern is for families travelling by car: the road is the attraction, with short stops that children appreciate, and Krimml suits any age because you choose how far to climb. ### What works best The Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, with the glacier and the marmot and ibex lookout The Krimml waterfalls, as far as legs will go The 20-minute walk to the Oberstattalm, with a play area ### Where to sleep Heiligenblut, on the Carinthian side Fusch or Bruck, on the Salzburg side Krimml, to do the waterfalls first thing ### Where to eat A picnic at the road's viewpoints The Oberstattalm, in the Käfertal ### Bear in mind The bends cause car sickness: stop often It is cold up there even if it is warm below ### Qué hacer as a family - Grossglockner High Alpine Road, from Fusch to Heiligenblut - Krimml Waterfalls on the Wasserfallweg - Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe and the Pasterze glacier - Edelweiss-Spitze, the highest point on the road - Walk to the Käfertal and the Oberstattalm from Ferleiten - Glocknerbus, the Grossglockner road without driving ## With teenagers: The pass road and the roof of Austria Teenagers are impressed by sheer size: 36 bends, a glacier you can watch retreating and Austria's highest mountain straight ahead. ### What works best The Edelweiss-Spitze on foot from the Fuschertörl All of Krimml, up to the upper fall The Kaiser Franz Josef panoramic trail ### Where to sleep Heiligenblut, with more mountain routes Krimml ### Where to eat The road's mountain huts Sandwiches for Krimml ### Bear in mind The full climb at Krimml involves 431 m of ascent In fog, better another plan ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Grossglockner High Alpine Road, from Fusch to Heiligenblut - Krimml Waterfalls on the Wasserfallweg - Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe and the Pasterze glacier - Edelweiss-Spitze, the highest point on the road ## With young children: Short walks and mountain animals With small children, the key is not to spend the day in the car: choose two or three stops and a short walk at each. ### What works best The Käfertal: 20 minutes with a pushchair to the Oberstattalm The lower Krimml fall, 15 minutes from the car park Marmots from the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe ### Where to sleep Apartments in Fusch or Krimml Farmhouses in the Salzach valley ### Where to eat Mountain huts with a terrace beside the road A picnic ### Bear in mind In Krimml, beyond the Kürsingerplatz, the path is not for pushchairs A waterproof for the waterfall spray ### Qué hacer with young children - Krimml Waterfalls on the Wasserfallweg - Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe and the Pasterze glacier - Walk to the Käfertal and the Oberstattalm from Ferleiten ## Consejos ### Go in first thing In summer the road opens at 5:30. You reach the Pasterze with fewer people. ### Or in the afternoon After 18:00 the car toll drops to €36.50, but watch the closing time. ### Sleep in Heiligenblut or Fusch That way you can do the road without rushing and in the best light. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does the Grossglockner road cost? In 2026, €46.50 per car per day and €36.50 per motorbike. ### When does it open? From early May to early November, in daylight. It closes in winter: in November 2026 the road company announces closure until early May 2027, with no exact date published yet. ### Can you see the Krimml waterfalls on the same day? You can, but they are two long excursions at opposite ends. It is better on different days. ### Is it a good destination with children? Yes. The lower part of Krimml and the walk to the Käfertal can be done with a pushchair, and you can see marmots at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe.