With the queen of Alpine roads, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, I conclude the series on Carinthia’s panoramic roads. In combination with the Pustertaler Höhenstraße and the Lesachtal valley, as well as a visit to the sunny town of Lienz, this tour is a ride for connoisseurs. We start in Kötschach-Mauthen, which is well worth a visit, not least because of its “Museum 1915 – 1918”. A little later, the Gailbergsattel beckons, taking us on an exciting descent to Oberdrauburg, whose town center invites us to stop for a caffeine break.
Distance: 280 kilometers
GPX data and download: kurv.gr/6RsRT
Rendezvous with the queen
And then the 48-kilometre masterpiece of road construction soon begins, leading us through 36 hairpin bends and magnificent views of the Alps. The Edelweißspitze is the highest accessible point on the route, which is reached via unproblematic cobblestone hairpin bends. The Kaiserschmarrn at 2,571 meters and unbelievable views are hard to beat, as you can see from the satisfied looks on bikers’ faces all around.
We continue to the northern toll station of the High Alpine Road near Fusch, where we turn around and start the ride back. This time we make a stop at the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, from where we have Austria‘s highest mountain, the 3,798-meter-high Grossglockner, right in front of us. Once again, the excellent biker service in Carinthia is evident here, ranging from motorcycle parking spaces and lockable lockers for stowing helmets to boards with tour tips.



Calorie processing at its finest
We say goodbye to the Grossglockner High Alpine Road and arrive in the sunny town of Lienz, which exudes Austrian-Italian charm. In the pedestrian zone, those with a sweet tooth will find their paradise with various coffee houses and ice cream parlors.
Got too many calories? No problem, because the ingenious Pustertaler Höhenstraße and the sheer endless ribbon of bends in the Lesachtal valley will help you to quickly burn off those nasty fatteners before a great tour reaches its starting point in Kötschach-Mauthen.


Overnight stay and panoramic road ticket Carinthia
With the Panoramastraßen-Ticket-Kärnten you have the opportunity to achieve a great price advantage compared to the cumulative individual journeys. These panoramic roads also include the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. The ticket is only available from the partner hotels of Motorradland Kärnten. These fulfill extensive motorcycle requirements, which are also checked at regular intervals.
You can find more blog posts about the Carinthian panoramic roads on the Nockalm Road, the Malta Hochalm Road, the Villach Alpine Road and the Goldeck Panoramic Road.
Photos: Peter Wahl