What are the most spectacular roads in Austria?
Nestled in the heart of Central Europe, Austria beckons with its majestic Alpine landscapes and a web of roads that traverse these natural wonders. Among these, the Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße stands out, a feat of engineering that snakes through the Austrian Alps, providing drivers with unrivaled panoramas and an adrenaline-charged experience. Not to be outdone, the Silvretta Hochalpenstraße, often dubbed the 'Dream road of the Alps,' lives up to its moniker with its sweeping vistas and cascading landscapes that are nothing short of picturesque.
Then there's the challenge of Timmelsjoch, rising as the crown jewel of the Ötztal Alps, testing the mettle of drivers with its steep gradients and demanding turns, all while rewarding them with views that seem plucked straight from a postcard.
Indeed, each road in Austria is a journey, not just in distance, but also in the sensory delights they offer. From undulating valleys to the rugged mountain tops, these routes are not merely stretches of asphalt; they are experiences, capturing the very essence of Austria's awe-inspiring beauty.
Austria has some of the most exciting mountain roads and exhilarating driving experiences of the world. With incredible views, narrow tunnels, countless hairpins, steep inclines and twisty turns, the country offers 12 scenic Alpine drives.
Whether you're a driving enthusiast or a nature lover, these roads promise an odyssey that etches itself into memory, capturing the spirit of Austria's mesmerizing landscapes.
Feistritzer Alm
Feistritzer Alm is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.718m (5,633ft) above the sea level, located in the Carnic Alps, on the border of Austria and Italy.
Gletscherexpress Bergstation
Gletscherexpress Bergstation is a high mountain lift at an elevation of 2.842m (9,324ft) above the sea level, located in the Ötztal Valley, in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.
Pfeishütte
Pfeishütte is an Alpine mountain refuge hut at an elevation of 1.926m (6,318ft) above the sea level, located below Mount Sonntagkar in Karwendel, in the Austria’s western state of Tyrol.
Weinflaschenkopf
Weinflaschenkopf is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.813m (9,229ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Salzburg. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.
Hagener Hütte
Hagener Hütte is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.435m (7,988ft) above the sea level, located on the border of Carinthia and Salzburg, in Austria.
Schwarzsee
Schwarzsee is a high Alpine lake at an elevation of 2.850m (9,350ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.
Roseggerhaus
The Roseggerhaus is an Alpine hut at an elevation of 1.576m (5,170ft) above the sea level, located in northeastern Styria, Austria.
Unterer Bockhartsee
Unterer Bockhartsee is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 1.869m (6,131ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Salzburg.
Kitzsteinhorn
Kitzsteinhorn is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.738m (8,982ft) above the sea level, located southwest of Salzburg, in Austria. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.
Stubnerkogel
Stubnerkogel is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.232m (7,322ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Salzburg.
Magnetköpfl
Magnetköpfl is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.690m (8,825ft) above the sea level, located southwest of Salzburg, in Austria.
Bergstation Grubenkopfbahn
Bergstation Grubenkopfbahn is a chairlift at an elevation of 2.806m (9,206ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.
Gossenköllesee
Gossenköllesee is a high Alpine lake at an elevation of 2.445m (8,021ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Greitspitz
Greitspitz is an international high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.876m (9,435ft) above the sea level, located on the border between Switzerland and Austria. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.
A wild 4x4 road to Sillianer Hütte
Sillianer Hütte is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.428m (7,965ft) above the sea level, located on the border of Austria and Italy.
Einzeiger
Einzeiger is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.751m (9,025ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.
Schareck
Schareck is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.552m (8,372ft) above the sea level, located in Carinthia, Austria.
Zupalseehütte
Zupalseehütte is an alpine mountain refuge at an elevation of 2.339m (7,673ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Dobratsch
Dobratsch is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.143m (7,030ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian province of Carinthia, near the Italian and Slovenian borders.
Hohe Mut Alm
Hohe Mut Alm is a high mountain hut at an elevation of 2.652m (8,700ft) above the sea level, located in the Ötztal Alps in Tyrol, Austria.
Palinkopf
Palinkopf is an international high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.863m (9,393ft) above the sea level, located on the border between Switzerland and Austria. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.
Darmstädter Hütte
Darmstädter Hütte is an Austrian mountain hut in the Tyrolean Alps, at an elevation of 2.383m (7,818ft) above the sea level. The average gradient is 9.1%.
Schattberg West
Schattberg West is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.087m (6,847ft) above the sea level, located in the state of Salzburg in Austria.
Hoadl Haus
Hoadl Haus is a high mountain bar at an elevation of 2.338m (7,670ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Gipfelbahn
Gipfelbahn is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.173m (7,129ft) above the sea level, located in Salzburg in the area of Pinzgau in Austria.
The road to Kaprun reservoir, a chillout in high mountains
Kaprun Hochgebirgsstauseen is a high mountain reservoir at an elevation of 2.038m (6,686ft) above the sea level, located in Salzburg, Austria.
Zeblasjoch
Zeblasjoch is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.535m (8,316ft) above the sea level, located on the border of Austria and Switzerland.
Wildkogel
Wildkogel is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.086m (6,843ft) above the sea level, located in Oberpinzgau in Salzburg, Austria.
Rotmoosalm
Rotmoosalm is an alpine hut at an elevation of 2.037m (6,683ft) above the sea level, located in the beautiful Gais valley, in the district of Innsbruck-Land in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Wanglspitz
Wanglspitz is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.405m (7,890ft) above the sea level, located in the west Austrian province of Tyrol.
Kreuzkogel
Kreuzkogel is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.643m (8,671ft) above the sea level, located south of Salzburg, in Austria.
Tuxer Ferner
Tuxer Ferner is a glacier at an elevation of 2.615m (8,579ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Thurntaler
Thurntaler is a high mountain peak at elevation of 2.390m (7,841ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Schmiedingersee
Schmiedingersee is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.392m (7,847ft) above the sea level, located southwest of Salzburg, in Austria.
Z1 Aussichtsplattform
Z1 Aussichtsplattform is an observation deck at an elevation of 2.575m (8,448ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol.
Schartenkogel
Schartenkogel is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.289m (7,509ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol.