Tyrol · Austria
Ötztaler Gletscherstraße (Sölden Glacier Road)
Sölden to Rettenbach/Tiefenbach glacier
Toll climb from Sölden to Europe’s second-highest paved road at 2830 m glacier.
This 13 km 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 2830 m, 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.
Where it runs7.4 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Higher than 9 in 10 roads · the highest road in Austria, by our count in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 7Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%1,700.3 – 2,818.8 mFrom the road
Points of interest2 stops
- Seiter JöchlViewpoint7.1 mi in
- EinzeigerViewpoint5.2 mi in
Hazards
- Steep sustained gradient
- Late snow and ice
- Toll-gate opening hours
Sources
“every curve of the road offers a new breathtaking view”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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