Driving the scenic Schlegeis Alpenstraße

Located in the province of Tyrol, in Austria, the Schlegeis Alpenstraße is a very scenic mountain road winding its way up into the breathtakingly beautiful mountains. It’s one of the scenic Austrian Alpine roads.

Schlegeis Alpenstraße

The toll road is 13.3km long and was built in 1907. It links the village of Ginzling, south of Mayrhofen, at an elevation of 1,000 meters above sea level, and the Schlegeis reservoir, an artificial lake at 1.806m above the sea level. Its many twists, turns and narrows can pose a challenge to even the most experienced drivers.  Along the route through many natural rock tunnels you will see waterfalls and the glacier in several places. Some sections are only single-lane and regulated by traffic lights. With several tunnels along the way, its maximum gradient is 12%. The road starts at 1,000 metres above sea level and takes you round eight hairpin bends and through four natural rock tunnels (3.6 metre height restriction) to the car parks at Schelgeis Reservoir, at 1,806 metres above sea level. The elevation gain is 806 meters.

The road is usually open between the middle of May and the end of October (weather permitting). It has eight hairpins and four tunnels carved into the rocks. The journey offers an exhilarating driving experience, with superb views. The drive takes visitors on a spectacular journey up into a high alpine landscape. This is definitely one road trip that you want to record with lots of photographs. There are lots of viewpoints, official and unofficial. The road is a delight to drive, with every kind of twist and turn. The panoramic road comprises many beautiful vantage points with views of the Zillertal Alps.
Pic: https://www.tirol.at/reisefuehrer/ausflugstipps/ausflugsziele/a-schlegeis-alpenstrasse