Straddling Tyrol, Salzburg and Carinthia, this national park is the largest in the Alps; a 1786-sq-km wilderness of 3000m peaks, alpine meadows and waterfalls. At its heart lies Grossglockner (3798m), Austria's highest mountain, which towers over the 8km-long Pasterze Glacier, best seen from the outlook at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe (2369m).
The 48km Grossglockner Road (www.grossglockner.at) from Bruck in Salzburgerland to Heiligenblut in Carinthia is one of Europe's greatest alpine drives. A feat of 1930s engineering, the road swings giddily around 36 switchbacks, passing jewel-coloured lakes, forested slopes and wondrous glaciers.
The major village on the Grossglockner Road is Heiligenblut, famous for its 15th-century pilgrimage church. Here the tourist office (www.heiligenblut.at) can advise on guided ranger hikes, mountain hiking and skiing. The village also has a spick-and-span Jugendherberge (www.oejhv.or.at).
Bus 5002 runs frequently between Lienz and Heiligenblut on weekdays (€16.40, one hour), less frequently at weekends.
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