A SHINING STAR 14 The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is included in the most monumental landmarks of Austria since its opening on 3rd August 1935. It is under Monument Protection since 2015. The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is known as a masterpiece of the road construction in the Alpine high mountains. With its unique route the 48-kilometre-long road combines highest driving pleasure with a splendid nature experience. The construction of the road was started in economically difficult times. In the young Austrian republic there was a mass-unemployment in the 1920s. A private car was considered as a luxurious pleasure however the central position of Austria in the “heart of Europe” was appreciated. THE LIFE’S WORK OF TWO MEN Two men are inseparably connected with the Grossglockner High Alpine Road: The architect and designer Franz Wallack and the Salzburg Governor at the time Franz Rehrl. They both made history with their life’s work. Before Franz Wallack started with the line routing of the road, he went on a study tour in order to inspect more than 40 Alpine passes and roads. At the end he concluded that: “Among all of the alpine roads, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road would not be a wallflower, but the brightest star”. Franz Wallack, Builder of the road A DISTINCTIVE ROAD BEAUTY The first blasting for the Grossglockner High Alpine Road took place on 30th August 1930. With up to 4,000 men, – the so-called “Glockner labourers” - were engaged with 1.8 million working shifts for the construction of the six-metres-wide sandy road. In the 26 months of construction, 870,000 cubic metres soil
and rocks were moved; 115,750 cubic metres of walling was created and 67 bridges were built. The total construction costs amounted to 85.2 million euros. Even today the historical stone walls and the road boundaries are mostly preserved. The original cobblestone pavement is still preserved on the road to the Edelweiss-Spitze. And also the road border stones contribute to the distinctive road scene: They all are made of Granite and have the special “Glockner standard“. EXHIBITION “BAU DER STRASSE” (BUILDING THE ROAD) An original preserved barracks at the “Fuscher Lacke” mountain lake holds the permanent exhibition “Bau der Strasse”. This vividly documents the living conditions of the Glockner labourers and illustrates with original documents, plans, and newspaper articles how very much the building of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road preoccupied the people in Austria. FROM A MONUMENT TO THE UNESCO-WORLD HERITAGE SITE Exactly at the time of its 80th birthday, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road was put under monument protection at the beginning of July 2015. All the national levels certified the road of the highest protection value. Thereby, an important milestone on the way to the UNESCO-world heritage site is mastered. Approximately 12,000 border stones edge the road. GROSSGLOCKNER HIGH ALPINE ROAD 15 The prominent “Witch tooth” in the area of the “Witch’s kitchen” with historical border stones. The “International Grossglockner Grand Prix” for veteran cars takes place every year in September.
