Austria
Grossglockner High Alpine Road usually opens early may and shuts late october. Those dates move with the snow every single year, so a late spring can hold the opening back by two or three weeks and an early autumn storm can close it without warning.
The pass road runs Bruck an der Grossglocknerstrasse to Heiligenblut in Salzburg and Carinthia, Austria, 29.8 miles that take about 1 hr 30 min if you drive it properly rather than chase it. We score it 9.7 out of 10 for driving and 9.9 out of 10 for scenery.
A toll road with published seasonal dates, and it also closes overnight during the season.
Summit
2504 m
Typically opens
Early May
Typically closes
Late October
Country
Austria
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Opening dates reflect the long term pattern of the pass, not a single season. Always check on the day. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 19 April 2026
The drive
Austria's grandest high alpine road climbs to Franz Josefs Hohe beneath the country's tallest peak.
Hotels
Tracing the road between your start and finish
0%About 20 seconds left
Nearby
24.2 mi away
A gentle wooded pass linking the Kitzbuhel valley to the high Pinzgau region.
25.5 mi away
A tunnel linked high road threading the Hohe Tauern range with fine glacier views.
26.1 mi away
Six tunnels and a wall of hairpins to Austria's highest dam.
34.8 mi away
A scenic connector road ending near Austria's tallest waterfalls at Krimml.
36 mi away
Germany's highest through road climbs to the border with views over the Watzmann massif.
Common questions
Grossglockner High Alpine Road typically opens early may and closes late october. Treat that as a planning window rather than a promise, because the snow decides the date.
The summit sits at 2504 metres in Austria.
About 1 hr 30 min for the 29.8 miles between Bruck an der Grossglocknerstrasse and Heiligenblut, without stops. Allow twice that if you want photographs and a coffee at the top.
We rate it 9.7 out of 10 for driving and 9.9 out of 10 for scenery, which puts it among the roads worth building a trip around.