The slightly less than 3,800-m high Grossglockner, the highest mountain of Austria is popular also outside Austria
Image gallery: Grossglockner
The 3,798-m high mountain in the eponymous mountain chain east of the Ortles Group in South Tyrol is the highest mountain of Austria and the Alps. The summit has gained its popularity following its first ascension in 1800.
The ordinary path leads past the Erzherzog-Johann-Hütte hut at 3,454 m a.s.l., the eastern slope and the Kleinglockner. The hard crystalline rocks of the mountain form a pyramid suitable for climbing. The view from the peak at the border between East Tyrol and Kärnten is truly stunning. In case of ideal weather conditions you can even spot the city of Regensburg and the Böhmerwald forest in the north, the Ortles Group in the west, the Padana Plain in the south and the Totes Mountains in the east.
The most important villages at the foot of the "black mountain" are Kals am Grossglockner in East Tyrol and Heiligenblut in Kärnten, both situated in the Hohe Tauern National Park. From the panoramic toll road Glockner Hochalpenstrasse you can enjoy an impressive view of Austria's highest mountain.
