What are the most spectacular roads in Austria?

Covering an area of 83,871 square kilometres and sharing borders with 8 countries (Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein), Austria is a mountainous country, set high in the central part of Europe.

Set high in the Alps, the country provides challenging yet scenic mountain roads for every driver, the scenic Alpine roads, with stunning views of mountains, valleys, lakes, and forests. While in the country, don’t forget to drive the Silvretta High Alpine Road, the Dream Road of the Alps. It’s one of the most stunning and popular panoramic routes in the country. At 22.3 km long, this curvy road encompasses 34 curves and reaches 2.071m (6,794ft) above sea level. Also worth taking is the 48km long drive through the legendary Grossglockner High Alpine Road.

Also, don’t miss the Timmelsjoch, the highest pass of the Ötztal Alps. Also known as Passo del Rombo, is an international high mountain pass on the border with Italy, situated just a few meters below the iconic Passo dello Stelvio. Remember to plan carefully your trip, because Austria has a temperate continental climate, with warm summers and cold winters.

Starkenburger Hütte is a high mountain hut at an elevation of 2,237m (7,339ft) above sea level, located in the district of Innsbruck-Land in Austria.

Nassfeld Pass-Passo di Pramollo is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.534m (5,032ft) above sea level, located on the Italian-Austrian border.

Pustertal High Alpine Road is a very scenic journey in the heart of the Austrian state of Tyrol with fabulous views. The road is a delight to drive, with every kind of twist and turn. It’s one of the scenic Austrian Alpine roads.

Reschenpass-Passo di Resia is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.522m (4,993ft) above sea level, located in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region of Italy, not far from the Austrian border.

Located in the Austrian state of Tyrol, the Kals Glockner Road (Kalser Glocknerstraße) is a very scenic journey through many hairpin bends. It’s one of the most scenic Austrian Alpine roads.

Katschberg Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,641m (5,384ft) above sea level, located in Austria.

The Felbertauerntunnel is a high mountain tunnel at an elevation of 1,650m (5,413ft) above sea level, located on the border of Salzburg and Tyrol, in Austria.

Niederalpl Pass is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.232m (4,041ft) above sea level, located in the Austrian state of Styria.

The Dolomitenstraße is a high-mountain service road located in the Lienz Dolomites, in the Austrian state of Tyrol. Reaching an elevation of 2,244m (7,362ft) at the Karlsbader Hütte, the route is a technical climb starting from Bad Jungbrunn. Logistically, the road is divided into a public-access paved sector and a restricted unpaved track situated next to the Laserzsee lake.

Located in the state of Salzburg, in Austria, and running along the Almbach River, the Strubklammstraße is one of the narrowest roads in the country.

Edelweißspitze is a mountain peak at an elevation of 2,571m (8,435ft) above sea level, located in the Austrian state of Salzburg.

Bergstation Schaufeljoch is a high mountain cable car station at an elevation of 3,168m (10,393ft) above sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It's one of the highest roads in Europe.

Furkajoch is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,761 m (5,778 ft) above sea level, located in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg.

Krummholzhütte is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 1,838m (6,026ft) above sea level, located in the Liezen district of Styria, in Austria.

Peter-Anich-Hütte is a high mountain refuge at an elevation of 1,909m (6,259ft) above sea level, located in the district of Innsbruck-Land in Austria. Expect sections that are as steep as 30%.

Klammljoch-Passo di Gola is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,288m (7,507ft) above sea level, located on the border of Austria and Italy.

Gaislachkoglbahn is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3,018 m (9,901 ft) above sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol. The peak was the spectacular shooting location for the James Bond Spectre movie. It’s one of the highest roads in Europe.

Finstertalspeicher is a reservoir at an elevation of 2,325m (7,627ft) above sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol.

Hochtannberg Pass is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,676 m (5,499 ft) above sea level, located in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg. It separates the Allgäu Alps from the Lechquellen Mountains and connects the Hochtannberg region and the Lech Valley near Warth with the Bregenzer Ach Valley near Schoppernau. The pass is also part of the European main watershed, with its lowest point at 1,660 m. In the relatively flat pass area lie Lake Kalbele (Kalbelesee) and, a bit southwest, Lake Körber (Körbersee).

Silzer Sattel is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,692 m (5,551 ft) above sea level, located in the district of Imst in the Austrian state of Tyrol.

Tilliacher Joch-Forcella Dignàs is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,094m (6,870ft) above sea level, located on the border between Italy and Austria.

Eisentalalm is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.042m (6,699ft) above the sea level, located in Carinthia, in the Karnten region of southern Austria. It’s the highest point on the Nockalmstrasse.

Zillergrund-Stausee is a high mountain reservoir at an elevation of 1.850m (6,069ft) above the sea level, located in the Zillertal in the Austrian state of Tyrol.

Markinkele is an international high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.545m (8,349ft) above the sea level, located in the Alps on the border between Austria and Italy.

Wurmkogl is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.023m (9,917ft) above the sea level, located in the Ötztal Alps of Tyrol, Austria. It's one of the highest roads of Europe.

Mutkogel is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.972m (9,750ft) above the sea level, located in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It’s one of the highest roads of Europe.

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.

Festkogl is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.898m (9,507ft) located in the Ötztal Alps in Tyrol, Austria.

The Roßfeldpanoramastraße is a toll-Alpine road located in the Alps of Berchtesgaden in the district of Berchtesgaden, Bavaria (Germany).

Lake Zirm is a small lake in a rocky basin, at an elevation of 2.525m (8,284ft) above the sea level, located in Carinthia region, in southern Austria. The average gradient is 10.88% with sections up to 20%.

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.

Sella Bistrizza is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,718m (5,633ft) above sea level, located in the Carnic Alps on the border between Austria (Carinthia) and Italy (Friuli-Venezia Giulia). The road is a stabilized gravel track that provides access to the Oisternig massif. Logistically, this route is one of the steepest in the region, requiring a vehicle with high torque and a specialized cooling system to handle a sustained incline that exceeds the limits of standard passenger cars.

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.

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.

Kitzsteinhorn is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.738m (8,982ft) above the sea level, located southwest of Salzburg, in Austria.

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. 

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