Link to PHOTO ALBUM:
Yesterday I was a bit directionless. I looked at my "Riding the Alps" book, saw a route into Austria and a town and put that in the GPS. I did not really follow the GPS but that is not really anything new. I got to Lienz, and then chose Heiligenblut as my next destination just because there were some curvy roads and I had remembered seeing it in my book.
As I approached the town, riding great roads and seeing lots of other bikers (always a good sign) I saw a sign for TOLL, 28 EU or something like that. WHAT ! ! ! ! ! So I pulled into town to consult the book and see what my other options were.
It turns out there were no other feasible options, and that was OK. I was approaching, mostly by chance, one of the "great" motorcycle roads. As for the Toll, Austria has figured out that lots of Germans want to go to Italy, and lots of Italians want to go to Germany. Austria is right in the middle. So there are Toll roads. You need a Vignette for many of the highways, but you still pay tolls in some places.
Anyway, the location is Grossglockner. I was told it is a National Park, I was also told it is a Private Road. I could not really get a clear explanation of what is what with all of this, but the road has had motor racing (car and bike) since the day it opened. Porsche won some kind of race back in the 30's with some kind of "peoples car" which did not overheat or "boil over" or break down. Or something like that. More info can be found here: https://www.grossglockner.at/gg/en/index
I won't get into the details, as I would have to research them first, and who really wants to do that.
This road is amazing. Not the best I have ridden on this trip by far, but the best in this area. There is an offshoot road that goes up to "Bikers Point". A great place to look around and get a coffee. Unfortunately, they allow cars at Bikers Point too.
Let me tell you something about German Drivers. As one regular reader will tell you, they are good. Well, when the driving is clearly regulated anyway. If the speed limit is 100, they go 99.9. If you are supposed to stop, they do. They move over, they pay attention, they can even handle the stupid actions of American Bikers who are lost and not that bright.
What they cannot do is handle hair pin turns. Really!. The speed limit is 100. OK, even few bikers do this speed for long, but still, STOPPING in turns? Hair pin turns, or any turn really, are handled simply: Slow, turn, accelerate. The slow should be done before or if necessary shortly after you enter the turn. The turn, well, should happen in the turn. The accelerate should start before you exit the turn or better yet, just after you enter the turn. Not complicated. Let me give you all a hint, if you look in your mirror, and there is a line of vehicles behind you, move over. You are not going fast enough and probably should not try to.
Now granted, the problem is probably not that the drivers are German (the Netherlands drivers were far worse) and probably more the fact that they are old drivers driving big Mercedes or BMWs or other wastes of good steel (as opposed to motorcycles) on roads that should be motorcycle only roads (as any good road should be designated). Or just that they were people who had never really ridden these kinds of roads. I suppose if I was driving a steel monstrosity I would be going just as slow. But I would need a hat. Every old man driving a big car slowly needs a hat. All the more reason to ban cars to just the Autostrada.
Rant over. More or less. Almost. These roads are made for motorcycles. I understand how scary these roads can be, no guard rails, blind hairpin turns, busses coming the other way that are almost as wide as the road, bicycles everywhere, but really, if you cannot do at least 40 in most of the turns, take the busses!!! And that goes for any other road that "I" want to enjoy. Because, you know, it is all about me.
The good thing is that here, as a motorcyclist, you are expected to pass. Anywhere. If you look closely at the photos, almost all parts of all the roads are considered passing areas. If you can do it safely, you do. In curves, blind curves (you better be sure), anywhere. You are really expected to do it safely though. I let the locals do most of the scary passing, as I know I don't have the experience or judgement to pass where they do. Sometimes this causes minor problems as the car drivers expect me to pass, even when I am not really ready. The locals would have passed, but not me. Throws off the car drivers as often they are watching waiting for me to go for it.
This area is in the Austrian State of Carinthia: Carinthia's main industries are tourism, electronics, engineering, forestry, and agriculture. And of course, this is where Corinthian Leather comes from, right Ricardo Montalbán (THAT would be an age test)
Well, so there is a glacier to look at and go out on. There is a car and bike museum. And roads. Great Roads. And views. Great views. Hikes. Cable Cars to the tops in some places. Lots of outdoor things to do.
Enough about that. I found a hotel for a good price, and found that they give you a card for free cable car rides and discounts for the toll road. Good deal all around.
