Tour plan 1

The Glockner Tour

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This tour is a must for every biker staying nearby. Unique landscapes and dreamlike roads are waiting to be conquered.

The Hunguest Hotel Heiligenblut is the starting point for the Grossglockner Alpine Tour.

On the 48 kilometres of the Glockner tour the traveller will find lush green alpine pastures, forest areas up to the woods limit and the eternal ice coverlet of the Pasterzen glacier.

There is a roundabout some 3 kilometres after the Heiligenblut tollgate where you can turn towards the Emperor Francis Joseph Summit (Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Höhe). It is worth making this small detour because you would never get any closer to the Grossglockner on this tour. The way there passes by the Margaritzen reservoir fed by the waters of the glacier, and then by some waterfalls and a beautiful mountain lake. Free parking with separate biker-safe facilities is available at the Franz Josef Summit. Time to have a look around and pull out the camera. Motifs, there are plenty!If you are for a walk or prefer to cool down in hot weather you should visit the Gamsgruben tunnels. Worthwhile to visit are the Swarovski gazebo and the exhibitions.

Now get back to the roundabout and head towards Zell am See to drive along the actual Glockner road.

Along this impressive road you’ll find many exhibits and information panels reporting on the flora and fauna existing along the route, the construction of the road itself and other points of interest.

At the highest point of the road and after riding for 20 kilometres on the border between the provinces of Carinthia and Salzburg you pass the Hochtor at a height of 2,504 meters and in a few minutes you reach the famous Fuscher Törl (2,428 m). From this point you descend some 1,200 meters to reach the Ferleiten tollgate. During the ride you can observe the height at which the trees start to reappear and realize how well the flora feels here. If you don’t mind to spend a little time you can visit the wildlife park located close to the tollgate.

You continue riding on the Glockner road along the valley until you reach the Pinzgauer national road (B311) and there you turn towards Zell am See. About three kilometres later, just before reaching Zell am See you may choose to visit Zell or continue towards Stuhlfelden and Mittersill on road B168 and head towards the road to Felbertauern. Tip: visit Zell am See and have a great ice cream in any of the many lakeside cafes or just visit the historic city centre and have the ice cream there – it is up to you.

When the ice cream is over and the photos are all made, you can continue your journey towards the road to Felbertauern. You get back to the B168 road heading to Mittersill and take the direction to Mittersill. You ride through Fürth, Lengdorf and Stuhlfelden to reach Mittersill, where you turn towards the road to Felbertauern. Here, another 20 km to the tunnel. The well-built and slightly curvy road leads steadily uphill.

The Felbertauern tunnel itself has a length of 5.3 km and is located at a height of some 1,600 m. Unlike other tunnels in Austria there are never traffic jams here, even if a few more cars than normal iron the asphalt. Arriving from Mittersill the tollgate is located at the tunnel exit. You have to pay 8 € per bike and 10 € per car. After paying you make the next 14.5 km downhill towards Matrei and Lienz. You cannot miss the way to Lienz – it is very well signposted and it is (almost) impossible to get lost. However, one should hold back on this very attractive road section with the throttle. Not only bikers but also gentlemen equipped with laser speedometers know how appealing this road is. A few minutes before reaching Lienz you pass by the junction leading to Defereggental and to Kals am Grossglockner. Both destinations are worth separate trips.

When arriving in Lienz the old town offers a stroll. Parking spaces are available in abundance near the centre and are visibly signposted. The ‘Sunny City Lienz’ lives up to its name. Numerous street cafes populate the old town that is pedestrianized in the summer and plenty of shops invite you to stroll and shop.

The last part of the journey, some 40 km long, leads back to Heiligenblut. The route is well marked – no matter you head to either Mölltal or Grossglockner. It goes from Lienz to Winklern through the Iselsberg pass (1,209 m) and from there to Heiligenblut, where this tour began.