Ötztal Glacier Road
Encyclopedia
The Ötztal Glacier Road, (Ötztaler Gletscherstraße) is the second highest paved road in Europe. It is the access road from Sölden
to the Rettenbach glacier
and Tiefenbachferner glaciers in the Ötztal Alps
. It was built in 1972 as a spur from the existing Hochsölden road. The road climbs the Rettenbach Valley from Solden in the Ötztal
valley in the Austrian state
of Tyrol
. Near the top of the valley, the foot of the Rettenbach glacier, the road turns south and continues climbing through a tunnel, the highest road tunnel in Europe, where the highest point of the road is at southern end of the tunnel. From there it descends to the ski station at the foot of the Tiefenbachferner glacier.
Sölden
Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.-Geography:At c. 467 km² , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated...
to the Rettenbach glacier
Rettenbach glacier
The Rettenbach glacier is a glacier located near Sölden, in the Ötztaler Alps of Austria.During the winter the glacier is accessible by cable car and from spring time by car, using the Gletscherstraße....
and Tiefenbachferner glaciers in the Ötztal Alps
Ötztal Alps
The Ötztal Alps are a mountain range in the central Alps of Europe, part of the Central Eastern Alps. They are arrayed at the head of the Ötztal, a side valley of the Inn River southwest of Innsbruck, Austria; the line of summits forms part of Austria's border with Italy.The western border is the...
. It was built in 1972 as a spur from the existing Hochsölden road. The road climbs the Rettenbach Valley from Solden in the Ötztal
Ötztal
The Ötztal is a 65-kilometer long alpine valley in the Austrian state of Tyrol. 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 northern end of the valley is at the confluence of the...
valley in the Austrian state
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
of Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
. Near the top of the valley, the foot of the Rettenbach glacier, the road turns south and continues climbing through a tunnel, the highest road tunnel in Europe, where the highest point of the road is at 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
- List of mountain passes