Top 12 Scenic Alpine Roads in Austria

Top 12 Scenic Alpine Roads in Austria

Austria, europe

Length

48 km

Elevation

2,000 m

Difficulty

hard

Best Season

Year-round

# Austria's Best Mountain Roads: A Driver's Dream

Austria is seriously a playground for road trip enthusiasts. We're talking jaw-dropping Alpine scenery, nail-biting hairpin turns, narrow tunnels carved into mountainsides, and elevation gains that'll make your head spin. If you love twisty roads and stunning vistas, this country absolutely delivers.

Here are 12 incredible drives that'll have you planning your Austrian road trip ASAP:

**Salzburg to Carinthia** | 48km | Up to 2,504m | Built 1935

36 turns, 12 hairpins, 12% gradient. Open May-October. Toll required.

**Carinthia Route** | 16km | Up to 1,732m | Built 1965

116 turns with 7 hairpins packed into a short stretch. 10% gradient. Open year-round. Toll required.

**Salzburg Pass** | 12km | Up to 1,628m | Built 1962

8 hairpins, 9% gradient. Year-round access. Toll required.

**Carinthia Alpine** | 34km | Up to 2,042m | Built 1979

52 turns with stunning scenery. Open May-October. Toll required.

**Carinthia Loop** | 14km | Up to 1,895m

10 hairpins, 10% gradient. Seasonal (May-October). Toll required.

**Tyrol-Vorarlberg Route** | 22km | Up to 2,032m | Built 1961

34 hairpins, 12% gradient. June-October. Toll required.

**Tyrol Highpass** | 26km | Up to 2,750m | Built 1980

29 hairpins, 12% gradient. Open year-round. Toll required.

**Tyrol Challenge** | 12km | Up to 2,479m | Built 1959

60 turns, 30 hairpins, 13% gradient. Intense! June-October. Toll required.

**Historic Tyrol** | 13km | Up to 1,806m | Built 1907

8 hairpins, 12% gradient. Open May-October. Toll required.

**Tyrol Scenic** | 7km | Up to 1,920m

Year-round access. Toll required.

**Tyrol Valley Road** | 32km | Up to 1,441m | Built 1923

17% gradient. Open year-round. No toll!

**Tyrol Epic** | 48km | Up to 2,020m | Built 1963

A long, rewarding drive through incredible terrain. May-October. Toll required.

Ready to experience Alpine driving at its finest? These roads are calling your name.

Where is it?

Top 12 Scenic Alpine Roads in Austria is located in Austria (europe). Coordinates: 47.3373, 13.7945

Share this road

Road Details

Country
Austria
Continent
europe
Length
48 km
Max Elevation
2,000 m
Difficulty
hard
Coordinates
47.3373, 13.7945

Related Roads in europe

Ranga László Way, a sensational roadmoderate

Ranga László Way, a sensational road

🌍 Hungary

Okay, picture this: you're cruising through southern Hungary, practically spitting distance from Croatia, on the Ranga László Way. This hidden gem, nestled in the Nyugat-Mecsek Tájvédelmi area, is a tribute to rally legend László Ranga – a local hero from Pécs. The road itself? Mostly smooth sailing, though keep an eye out for sections of white asphalt that can be a bit slick. This 12.1 km stretch winds its way from Pécs to the charming village of Abaliget in Baranya County. You'll climb to a modest 428m (1,404ft), soaking in the views along the way. Expect some company – weekdays see a decent amount of traffic, and holidays can get busy. Overtaking? Not really an option. But here's a tip: if you detour towards Orfű, you'll be rewarded with a stunning lake nestled in the valley and a lookout tower perched atop a hill. Trust me, the views are worth it!

How to get by car to Mount Oeta in Central Greece?hard

How to get by car to Mount Oeta in Central Greece?

🇬🇷 Greece

# Mount Oeta: Greece's Ultimate High-Altitude Adventure Want to tackle one of Greece's most thrilling mountain roads? Mount Oeta (also called Mount Iti) sits pretty at 1,914 meters (6,279 feet) in the Phthiotis region of Central Greece, nestled within the stunning Iti National Park. This isn't just any scenic drive—it's one of the country's highest roads. Here's the real talk: you'll absolutely need a serious 4x4 vehicle with high clearance to conquer this beast. This is no Sunday cruise in a sedan. The unpaved road climbs relentlessly from Dyo Vouna over 24 kilometers (15 miles), gaining a whopping 1,412 meters of elevation along the way. That works out to an average gradient of 5.88%, which sounds manageable until you're actually navigating those tight switchbacks and rocky terrain. The scenery is phenomenal, but come prepared. Winter is basically off-limits—the road becomes impassable once the snow starts falling. Summer and early fall are your best bets for tackling this spectacular route. If you're not confident in your vehicle's capabilities or your driving skills on seriously steep, unpaved mountain roads, you might find yourself doing an embarrassing three-point turn and heading back down. Ready to challenge yourself? This is one for the adventure seekers and off-road enthusiasts willing to earn those bragging rights.

Puerto de Pedro Bernardohard

Puerto de Pedro Bernardo

🇪🇸 Spain

Puerto de Pedro Bernardo is a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.245m (4,084ft) above the sea level, located in the province of Ávila, Castile and León, Spain. Located in the Gredos mountain range, the road to the summit is asphalted. It’s called AV-922. Its many twists, turns and narrows can pose a challenge to even the most experienced drivers. The road is not easy, though. Up, down, right, left all the time. The pass has been featured on Vuelta a España race. Expect a road pretty steep. Starting from Pedro Bernardo town, the ascent is 12km long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 474 meters. The average gradient is 3.95%. And starting from San Esteban del Valle town, the ascent is 8.8km long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 438 meters. The average gradient is 4.97%. The road to Refugio Postero Alto, pure adventure Embark on a journey like never before! Navigate through our to discover the most spectacular roads of the world Drive Us to Your Road! With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click  to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.

Silvretta High Alpine Roadmoderate

Silvretta High Alpine Road

🇦🇹 Austria

# The Silvretta High Alpine Road Picture this: a 22.3-kilometer stretch of pure Alpine magic winding through Austria's Silvretta range. This toll road connects the charming Montafon valley town of Partenen with Galtur over in the Paznaun valley, and honestly, it's one of those drives that'll leave you speechless. Built over sixteen years (1938-1954), the road climbs up to the Bielerhöhe pass—sitting pretty at 2,036 meters—where you'll find the jaw-dropping Silvretta reservoir. Seriously, this water is *spectacularly* turquoise, like someone spilled liquid gemstones everywhere. That surreal color comes from glacial silt, and it creates this incredible contrast against the grey granite peaks and white glaciers surrounding it. The reservoir sits right at the base of Piz Buin, Vorarlberg's highest peak at 3,312 meters, making for some seriously photogenic moments. The engineering here is wild: 30 hairpin bends snake their way through a landscape straight out of a dream—glaciers, mountain streams cascading down, pristine alpine meadows. It's the kind of scenery that makes you want to pull over every five minutes to just take it all in. Once you reach the summit, the Bielerhöhe becomes your launchpad for hiking and mountaineering adventures throughout the range. And here's the best part: while everyone flocks to Austria's famous Grossglockner road, this gem stays refreshingly under-the-radar, offering equally stunning views without the crowds.