The Ötztal Glacier Road, (german: Ötztaler Gletscherstraße), at 2,830 m (9,285 ft), is the second
highest paved road in Europe. It is the access road from
Sölden
Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.
Geography
At c. , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 (as of 2003) is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated. With tou ...
to the
Rettenbach glacier
The Rettenbach glacier (german: ''Rettenbachferner'' or. ''Rettenbachgletscher'') is a glacier in Europe, located near Sölden in the Ötztal Alps of Tyrol, Austria.
During the winter, the glacier is accessible by cable car and from spring time ...
and Tiefenbachferner glacier in the
Ötztal Alps
The Ötztal Alps ( it, Alpi Venoste, german: Ötztaler Alpen) are a mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps, in the State of Tyrol in western Austria and the Province of South Tyrol in northern Italy.
Geography
The Ötztal Alps are arrayed at ...
. It was built in 1972 as a spur from the existing Hochsölden road. The road climbs the Rettenbach valley from Solden in the
Ötztal
The Ötztal is an alpine valley located in Tyrol, Austria. The Ötztaler Ache river flows through the valley in a northern direction. The Ötztal separates the Stubai Alps in the east from the Ötztal Alps in the west. The valley is long. The nor ...
valley in
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
. Near the top of the valley, the foot of the Rettenbach glacier, the road turns south and continues climbing through a ski tunnel—the second highest road tunnel in Europe—where the highest point of the road is at the southern end of the tunnel. From there it descends to the ski station at the foot of the Tiefenbachferner glacier.
See also
*
List of highest paved roads in Europe
This is a list of the highest paved roads in Europe. It includes roads that are over long and whose culminating point is at least above sea level. This height approximately corresponds to that of the highest settlements in Europe and to the t ...
*
List of mountain passes
This is a list of mountain passes.
Africa
Egypt
* Halfaya Pass (near Libya)
Lesotho
* Moteng Pass
* Mahlasela pass
* Sani Pass
Morocco
* Tizi n'Tichka
South Africa
* Eastern Cape Passes
* Western Cape Passes
* Northern Cape Passes
* Kwa ...
References
Valleys of Tyrol (state)
Roads in Austria
{{Tyrol-geo-stub