The best motorcycle roads in Austria
Austria is Alpine riding made easy. The roads are well built and well kept, the passes are signposted, and almost every valley has a guesthouse with a garage and a drying room. On top of the ordinary passes, Austria has a set of purpose-built panoramic toll roads, the Hochalpenstraßen, that exist mainly for the view and the ride: the Grossglockner, the Timmelsjoch, the Kaunertal Glacier Road and the Nockalmstraße among them.
This list ranks the roads we would plan a trip around. Tyrol and Salzburg take most of the places, with Carinthia and Styria holding quieter roads further east. Every entry gives the road number, a rough length, the months it is open and at its best, and where to stay nearby.
Austria also manages noise on some of its most popular biker roads. In parts of Tyrol, motorcycles with a high registered stationary noise level are banned from certain roads in the summer season. The rules and the roads they cover are set by the province, so check the Land Tirol website before you plan around them.
1. Grossglockner High Alpine Road (Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße)
- Road
- B107 (toll road)
- Length
- About 48 km
- Best season
- May to October
Austria's most famous road climbs 48 km from Fusch in Salzburg to Heiligenblut in Carinthia, crossing the Hochtor at 2,504 metres. Built as a panoramic road, it is wide, beautifully surfaced and full of perfectly radiused hairpins, with side roads to the Edelweissspitze and to the Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe, where the Grossglockner and the Pasterze glacier fill the view. It is a toll road, open from spring to late autumn and closed at night. Ride it at opening time, before the coaches arrive.
2. Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road
- Road
- B186 (toll road)
- Length
- About 50 km
- Best season
- June to October
The Timmelsjoch climbs from Sölden and Obergurgl at the head of the Ötztal to 2,509 metres on the border with Italy, then plunges down a long, steep series of hairpins and tunnels to St Leonhard in Passeier. The Austrian side is a toll road, fast and open; the Italian side is narrower, older and far more dramatic. Along the way there are architecture-designed viewpoints and a motorcycle museum at the toll station. It closes at night and in winter, so check the opening hours.
3. Kaunertal Glacier Road (Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße)
- Road
- Toll road
- Length
- About 26 km
- Best season
- June to October
A dead-end toll road that climbs about 26 km past the Gepatsch reservoir to the foot of the Weißsee glacier at 2,750 metres, through 29 hairpins. It does not lead anywhere, which keeps the traffic light and the mood relaxed: ride up, have a coffee at the top among the glaciers, and ride down again. The lower section follows the long turquoise reservoir; the upper section is high, bare and spectacular. Combine it with the Pillerhöhe and Piller road above the Inn valley for a full day.
4. Nockalm Road (Nockalmstraße)
- Road
- Toll road
- Length
- About 34 km
- Best season
- May to October
In the rounded Nock mountains of Carinthia, the Nockalmstraße runs about 34 km from Innerkrems to Ebene Reichenau through 52 bends, topping out at the Eisentalhöhe at 2,042 metres. The landscape is softer than the high Alps, with grassy domes, larch forest and mountain huts, and the road is smooth and flowing rather than steep. There are secure lockers for riders at the top. It is a toll road and closes overnight, and it pairs well with the Turracher Höhe for a Carinthian loop.
5. Kühtai Saddle (Kühtaisattel)
- Road
- L237
- Length
- About 40 km
- Best season
- All year (winter conditions)
The road from Oetz in the Ötztal over the Kühtai to the Sellrain valley and Innsbruck climbs to 2,017 metres, and it is kept open in winter for the ski resort at the top. The western climb out of Oetz is steep, with tight hairpins in the forest, then the road opens out across a high plateau with reservoirs and wide views. The descent through the Sellrain is long and fast. It is free of tolls and an easy link between the Ötztal and Innsbruck.
6. Hahntennjoch
- Road
- L246 and L72
- Length
- About 30 km
- Best season
- June to October
The Hahntennjoch crosses from Imst over 1,894 metres to Elmen in the Lech valley, a high, narrow pass through a huge scree-filled valley that feels far wilder than its height suggests. The climb from Imst is a run of fast, open hairpins with a long view back over the Inn. It is also one of the Tyrolean roads covered by the seasonal ban on motorcycles with a registered stationary noise level above 95 dB. Check your papers before you go, and ride it quietly.
7. Arlberg, Flexen and Hochtannberg passes
- Road
- B197 and B198
- Length
- About 60 km
- Best season
- May to October
The Arlberg pass at 1,793 metres links Tyrol with Vorarlberg between St Anton and Stuben, and it is the start of one of the best loops in western Austria. From Stuben the Flexen pass runs through avalanche galleries to Lech, and the Hochtannberg continues over to Warth and down the Bregenzerwald. The roads are fast, flowing and well surfaced, with dramatic gallery sections above the valley. The Lechtal road east of Warth falls under Tyrolean noise rules for some bikes, so check before you head that way.
8. Gerlos Pass and Gerlos Alpine Road
- Road
- B165
- Length
- About 45 km
- Best season
- May to October
The Gerlos pass links the Zillertal in Tyrol with the Salzach valley in Salzburg. On the Salzburg side, a toll section called the Gerlos Alpine Road climbs past the Durlassboden reservoir and then drops in a series of open hairpins with a direct view of the Krimml waterfalls, among the highest in Europe. The road is wide and the surface good, with a free old road as an alternative. It is an easy way to join a Zillertal base to the Grossglockner.
9. Sölk Pass (Sölkpass)
- Road
- L704
- Length
- About 50 km
- Best season
- June to October
A quiet, toll-free pass in the Niedere Tauern of Styria, climbing to 1,788 metres between the Enns valley and the Mur valley. The road is narrow and twisty, with a lovely upper section through open alpine pasture and small lakes and very little traffic even in summer. It is not as dramatic as the Tyrolean passes, but it is exactly the kind of road that makes a trip: empty, beautiful, and leading to good guesthouses at either end. It closes in winter.
10. Turracher Höhe
- Road
- B95
- Length
- About 35 km
- Best season
- May to October
The Turracher Höhe crosses from Styria into Carinthia past a mountain lake and a small resort at the top. It is best known for its gradients: some of the steepest ramps on any Austrian main road, especially on the Predlitz side, where the climb comes in short, sharp bursts. The descent toward Patergassen runs through forest and is a good place to check your brakes. Combine it with the Nockalmstraße for a loop through the Nock mountains.
How to plan a trip around these roads
Most riders base themselves in two places. In Tyrol, the Ötztal or the Inn valley around Imst puts the Timmelsjoch, Kaunertal, Kühtai and Hahntennjoch within a day. In Salzburg and Carinthia, a base near Heiligenblut, Zell am See or the Mölltal covers the Grossglockner, and the Nockalmstraße is a day south-east.
The high toll roads open from late spring and close in autumn, and most close at night. Opening dates and hours move with the snow, so check each road’s official site the week you travel.
- Austrian motorways and expressways need a vignette for motorcycles; buy it from ASFINAG, the official operator, before you ride on them.
- The panoramic Alpine roads charge their own tolls at the entrance; card payment is widely accepted.
- Tyrol has seasonal noise-based bans for some motorcycles on certain roads, including the Hahntennjoch. Check your registration papers and the Land Tirol rules.
- Watch for cows on the high roads, and for cyclists on every famous climb.
More of the best motorcycle roads
Questions riders ask
What is the best motorcycle road in Austria?
The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is the most famous, with its hairpins and glacier views. The Timmelsjoch into Italy is a close second, and the Kaunertal Glacier Road is the best dead-end ride.
Do I need a vignette to ride a motorcycle in Austria?
Yes, for motorways and expressways. Buy it from ASFINAG, the official operator, before you ride on them. The panoramic Alpine roads, such as the Grossglockner and Timmelsjoch, charge their own toll on top.
Are there motorcycle noise bans in Austria?
In parts of Tyrol, motorcycles with a stationary noise level above 95 dB in their registration papers are banned from certain roads in the summer season, including the Hahntennjoch. Check the Land Tirol website for the current roads and dates.
When is the Grossglockner open?
From spring to late autumn, usually from early May to late October or early November, depending on snow. It closes at night. Check the official Grossglockner website before you go.
Where should I stay for an Austrian motorcycle trip?
The Ötztal or the area around Imst for the Tyrolean passes, and Heiligenblut, Zell am See or the Mölltal for the Grossglockner. Many Austrian guesthouses offer garages and drying rooms for riders.