The History of the Road

A journey in time through the High Alpine Road project

Trails over the Hochtor: the Celts-, Romans and Pack-animal Routes

The road over the Hochtor follows ancient trails. People crossed the Hochtor almost two-thousand years before Christ.

Such finds as pre-Celtic bronze knives, Celtic gold jewellery, a Roman Hercules statue, medieval pack-animal bridles and the chains of galley slaves from the 17th century are proof.

Until the highpoint of trade in the 17th century, after the Brenner and the Radstadt Tauern, the Hochtor was the third most important trade route carrying almost ten per cent of the trade goods over the eastern Alps.

History 1924 - 1935

The idea takes form. In the autumn of 1924 Dip. Eng. Franz Wallack was commissioned to undertake the project of a three-metre-wide road, with the option to widen to five metres, passing points within sight of each other, the steepest gradient of 12 per cent (Edelweißspitze 14 per cent) and a gravel surface at a cost of what was then three million Austrian Schillings – which is equal to 6.5 million Euro today (the cheap variant). In 1928 the Provincial Head of Government Franz Rehrl gave the decisive impulse for the building of the Glockner Road.

In the autumn of 1929 the Salzburg government unanimously decided under the increasing economic pressure to build the Glockner Road.

On 30 August 1930 the first detonation was heard at 9.30am in Ferleiten. The time until the winter was mainly used for survey work.

On 19 February 1931 the Grossglockner High Alpine Road PLC was founded. The building went rapidly forward. Of the 30.2km of both ramps, a third was completed by the end of 1931 leaving two-thirds still being built.

Thirteen months later, on 22 September 1934, as the first driver Rehrl crossed the Hohen Tauern on the un-graded road in an adapted Steyr 100 (1.2 litre, 32 HP, 100km per hour top speed, about 10 litres of petrol for 100km). The approach roads in the Möll valley and in the Fusch valley were upgraded before the opening of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road was officially opened on 3 August 1935. 870,000 cubic metres of earth and rock were moved in the 26 months of building, 15,750 cubic metres of walling was created, 67 bridges built and a road telephone with 24 facilities was installed. 3,200 works undertook 1.8 million work shifts.

The total building costs, according to the final calculations from 16 April 1936, amounted to the 53.5 million euro at the currency of today for the road building, 3.3 million euro for improvement of the approach roads, the telephone facilities and various details.

The History Since 1945

The repairs and extension of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road

Following the start of the Second World War on 1 September 1939, there was a drop in the flow of annual tourists, which had in the meantime risen to just on 375,000 (Wallack estimated an annual number of visitors at 120,000 in 1935).

During the war years between 1940 to 1944, a total of only 27,000 people visited the Glockner Road.

The Glockner Road suffered severe damage through the use of tanks, inexpert snow clearing by the occupying forces, by the scattered refugees in the confusion of the war years and severe weather conditions. Thus the first task after liberation in 1945 was the repair of the road to guarantee safety for traffic.

From 1949 the flow of visitors on the Glockner Road again clearly increased. The average frequency of visitors from 1949 to 1952 increased annually by 45 per cent, and the toll incomes by even 58 per cent.

This and the foreseeable development of the road emphasised the need for modernising the Glockner Road.

The target was to widen the road from 6m to 7.5m – in all valley locations to 8m – to extend the radius of the bends from 10m to 15m and to raise the average speed from 40 to 70km per hour, to construct parking spaces for 4,000 in place of 800 vehicles, and thus increase the capacity of the road to 350,000 vehicles.

In 1953 six per cent of the upgrading quota was fulfilled, and already 31 per cent in 1959.

In July 1960 the Grossglockner High Alpine Road PLC assumed the Gerlos Road project. After only 25 months of building, the Gerlos Alpine Road was opened to traffic on 31 December 1962.

Additional tasks became very evident for the safety of traffic and for extending the season: avalanches and rock falls, relocating the toll points, repairs to the parking facilities and other buildings.

Such great investments delayed the upgrading of the Glockner Road. Despite difficult conditions – oil-price shock, recession, lack of tourists, opening of the road through the Felbertauern and the Tauern motorway – by 1980 the association was able to pay off all foreign loans.

The Hohe Tauern National Park and Ecological Responsibility

In 1971 the provinces of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol agreed at Heiligenblut to the establishment of the Hohe Tauern National Park. Due to the changed image and positioning of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road PLC from a road association to a services enterprise, the association defined the framework conditions for economic operation within the sensitive nature of the National Park as a new business model.

The economic exploitation of nature within the National Park is subject to clear norms.

In 1991 the Grossglockner High Alpine Road PLC was distinguished for the already realised ecological measures with the “Province of Salzburg Nature- and Environmental Protection Prize”.

Design for tourism of the Glockner Road – more than just a road.

The natural environment of the National Park, and the wide range of services offered clearly distinguishes the Grossglockner High Alpine Road from other roads. The Glockner Road today is the road into the National Park, an excursion experience with the opportunity to take a unique ecological journey of discovery.

A road is never finished – new tasks and responsibilities

Because something better always surpasses what is good, a road can never be finished, and that also means the Glockner Road. It requires the best technology and ecologically demanded standard, respectively, to maintain its character and its position as the high-alpine road for tourism in the Hohe Tauern National Park.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road today

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road PLC today is a modern tourism enterprise with six enterprises, the:

Grossglockner High Alpine Road
Gerlos Alpine Road
Krimml Wonder World of Water
Nockalm Road
Villach Alpine Road
Goldeck Panorama Road

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road was again in 2004 the second most visited sightseeing attraction in Austria!

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road was able to maintain its leading position as number two behind Schönbrunn Palace in respect of frequency of visitors. 900,000 visitors in 2004 have made a very clear statement in support of the attractiveness of the region and the uniqueness of the road´s construction.

The absolute quota king on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is the motorcycle. With the imposing number of about 68,000 motorcycles, an increase of almost 18% has been achieved here in the last five years. With about 267,000 vehicles of all categories (private vehicles, motorcycles and coaches), the average results of the previous years could be achieved.

Due to the constant extension of the visitors’ facilities along the road, the duration of a visitor’s stay has also been lengthened. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road has developed in recent years to become an excursion destination for an entire day.

Motorcycles Storm the Alpine Roads – measures for Bikers were accepted
The measures undertaken for motorcyclists in recent years have not failed to have effect. This is shown impressively with an increase of 18% in the last five years. 67,826 motorcycles travelled on the dream road of the Alps this summer, despite bad weather conditions an increase of 4.6%. The Bikers´ Points, the motorcycle-friendly rest areas offering information and gratis lockers for helmets and clothing, and the investments in safety for motorcyclists were received in the best possible way. A slight increase in the number of motorcyclist could be registered on the Nockalm Road. The increase on the Gerlos Alpine road is an impressive 9%.

It was also established at the last committee meeting that the Grossglockner High Alpine Road PLC is an important provider of impulse within the regions of Salzburg and Carinthia. This is very clearly given in the investments and the building measures undertaken. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road PLC is an important contractor, above all for small- and medium-size regional businesses.

The Krimml Wonder World of Water remains a fixed excursion destination in Pinzgau
With almost 36,000 visitors in the 2005 summer season, the Krimml Wonder World of Water is now a permanent highlight among the excursion destinations in Pinzgau. The mutual advertising of the Krimml Waterfall with the Krimml Wonder World of Water has been noticeably proved. Further steps in cooperation between the Austrian Alpine Association and the Grossglockner High Alpine Road PLC are also planned for the future.

Gamsgrubenweg reopened with new attractions on June 26
As a part of the "2005 Carinthia Water-Gold Festival" campaign, on Sunday 26 June a further attraction in the Grossglockner region - the Gamsgrubenweg - was reopened with new highlights. Together with the existing tunnels and dramatic presentations to the themes of water, crystal and gold, the Pasterze Legend is focussed at seven interactive points. A visit to the Gamsgruben tunnel, containing installations in stone, light, sound and painting, is certainly worthwhile. At the end of the incredible journey into the past you will be rewarded with a grandiose view of the Pasterze.

This unique panorama trail in the Alps, with a majestic view of the Grossglockner, leads above the Pasterze and is well secured, which makes it suitable for families with children. The Gamsgrubenweg is open free of charge to visitors of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.