Grossglockner & Hohe Tauern: Austria's Roof

Baroque splendor and a rich musical history adorn Salzburg against a backdrop of steep rock faces. The eleventh-century Festung Hohensalzburg towers above the city, offering visitors a panoramic view of the Altstadt. In the lively Getreidegasse, you'll discover the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Schloss Hellbrunn surprises with seventeenth-century Wasserspiele, where water spouts between the statues in the gardens. From the Mönchsberg, you can overlook the green Mirabellgarten and the domes of the Dom zu Salzburg.

Werfen impresses with the immense Eisriesenwelt, the largest ice cave system in the world. Inside this special place, you'll discover frozen waterfalls and beautiful ice sculptures, accessible via a cable car or a challenging hike. High above the Salzachtal stands the eleventh-century Festung Hohenwerfen, an imposing fortress where you can watch bird of prey demonstrations. From the car parks, you can enjoy a wide view over the majestic peaks of the Tennengebirge and the valley, a peaceful sight.

Zell am See is located on the Zeller See in the Pinzgau region, at the foot of the 1,965-meter-high Schmittenhöhe. From the summit of this mountain, you can overlook thirty three-thousand-meter peaks of the Hohe Tauern, while the nearby Kitzsteinhorn glacier near Kaprun reaches an altitude of 3,203 meters. You can walk along the shores of the lake or visit the Sigmund-Thun-Klamm, a rock gorge carved out by meltwater.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road features thirty-six hairpin bends and leads you through the Hohe Tauern National Park to the Edelweissspitze at an altitude of 2571 meters. From the Kaiser Franz Josefs Höhe, you have views of the Pasterze Glacier and the Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain at 3798 meters. Along the road, you'll find various parking areas and information points about alpine flora and fauna, such as alpine marmots and ibexes.

Nationalpark Hohe Tauern is the largest protected natural area in the Alps and is home to mountain peaks above three thousand meters, including the 3,666-meter-high Grossvenediger. In valleys such as the Mallnitzer Tauerntal, you hike through forests and alpine meadows, while the Umbalfälle demonstrate the power of glacial water. The hiking trails lead past glacier fields where you can observe ibex, chamois, and bearded vultures.

Maltatal is a valley where hydropower and rugged nature converge. The Fallbach Wasserfall, with a drop height of 200 meters, is among the highest in the region. The Malta Hochalmstraße leads you up to the Kölnbreinsperre, Austria's highest dam at almost 2000 meters. From the glass platform Airwalk, you can enjoy panoramic views. You can walk along mountain streams or climb the steep granite walls. The tranquility of the valley is only enhanced by the constant sound of mountain streams and waterfalls.

Lake Millstatt shimmers as Carinthia's deepest lake between the Millstätter Alpe and the Nockberge. In Millstatt, the eleventh-century Millstatt Abbey stands with a Romanesque cloister. Those who climb the Millstätter Alpe to the Kamplnock look out over the water's surface and the green southern shore. The Weg der Sinne trail leads along the shore to spots where you can dip your feet in the water. The atmosphere by the water is peaceful, and from the wooden jetties, you can watch the sun disappear behind the mountain peaks.

The Nockalmstrasse winds with 52 hairpin bends along the gently rolling mountain peaks of the Biosphärenpark Nockberge. At the Eisentalhöhe, at an altitude of 2049 meters, you can enjoy panoramic views of the rounded peaks. Along the road lies Karlbad, a wooden bathhouse where ancient bathing traditions in wooden troughs are preserved. The atmosphere among the larch and Swiss pine forests is serene, and the scent of resin hangs heavily in the mountain air near the parking areas.

The Weissensee is Carinthia's highest large swimming lake, located at an altitude of 930 meters in the Gailtal Alps. Here you can explore the expansive Weissensee Nature Park on foot or by boat, along its largely undeveloped shores. The serene environment is free from through traffic. In winter, the water transforms into Europe's largest natural ice rink, where the Alternatieve Elfstedentocht takes place annually. The clear shores and green water of the Weissensee promise serene tranquility.

Steep glacier walls and cascading water define the view from your motorhome on the Gerlospass. From the Gerlos Alpenstrasse, visitors look out over the ice fields of the Hohe Tauern. The Krimmler Wasserfälle plunge down here over a height of 380 metres. Near the Speicher Durlaßboden reservoir, there are hiking trails and the interactive WasserWunderWelt centre. In the parking areas, visitors gather to gaze at the snow-capped peaks of the Reichenspitzgruppe.

The Zillertal is a wide valley in Tyrol where you'll find the Hintertuxer Gletscher, the only glacier in Austria where you can ski year-round at an altitude of up to 3,250 meters. You drive along the Zillertaler Höhenstraße to a point at 2,020 meters for views of the three-thousanders of the Zillertaler Alpen. At the Schlegeis Stausee, you'll see a 131-meter-high dam at an altitude of 1,782 meters between rock faces and waterfalls.

Saalbach-Hinterglemm opens up a mountain landscape where cable cars transport hikers and mountain bikers to the rolling grassy mountains. The Schattberg X-press takes you to an altitude of 2,097 meters for a view over the mountain peaks of Salzburgerland. At the Talschluss Hinterglemm, a two-hundred-meter-long suspension bridge sways above the treetop path. Those who take the Kohlmaisbahn will find mountain bike tracks on the Kohlmaisgipfel. In the lively village, the sun slowly sets behind the peaks of the Glemmtal.

Baroque splendor and a rich musical history adorn Salzburg against a backdrop of steep rock faces. The eleventh-century Festung Hohensalzburg towers above the city, offering visitors a panoramic view of the Altstadt. In the lively Getreidegasse, you'll discover the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Schloss Hellbrunn surprises with seventeenth-century Wasserspiele, where water spouts between the statues in the gardens. From the Mönchsberg, you can overlook the green Mirabellgarten and the domes of the Dom zu Salzburg.