Ötztaler Gletscherstraße (Sölden Glacier Road)

Toll climb from Sölden to Europe's second-highest paved road at 2830m glacier

This 13km toll road spurs off the valley at Sölden and grinds up the Rettenbach valley in tight switchbacks to the glacier ski stations, finishing through the Rosi-Mittermaier tunnel near 2830m, often cited as the second-highest paved road in Europe. It is a dead-end ascent rather than a through-pass, so most of the appeal is the relentless climb and the high-alpine scenery rather than flow. Expect a steep, sustained gradient and thin air at the top. Mind the abrupt weather changes, snow and ice that can linger even in summer, and the seasonal/daily toll-gate opening hours.