Tunnels and Passes
The Hohe Tauern are crossed by three tunnels:
- Tauern Railway Tunnel between Bad Gastein and Mallnitz, finished in 1906
- Katschberg Tunnel on A10 Tauern Autobahn (European route E55) leading from Sankt Michael im Lungau and the Tauern Road Tunnel to Rennweg
- Felbertauerntunnel on B108 Felbertauern Straße highway, between Mittersill and Matrei in Osttirol
The best-known mountain pass road of the Hohe Tauern is the scenic Grossglockner High Alpine Road inaugurated in 1935, including a tunnel at an elevation of 2,505 metres (8,219 ft) under the Hochtor Pass (2,573 metres (8,442 ft)). East of it, the Katschberg Pass (1,641 metres (5,384 ft)) on B 99 Katschberg Straße highway parallel to the Katschberg Tunnel links Sankt Michael and Rennweg. Another road crosses the Staller Sattel between Sankt Jakob in Defereggen and Rasen-Antholz at 2,052 metres (6,732 ft).
Beside there are numerous bridle and foot paths, in part used since ancient times:
| Mountain pass | Location | Type | Elevation (m/ft) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riffeltor | Kaprun to Heiligenblut | snow | 3051 | 10,010 |
| Bockkarscharte | Ferleiten to Heiligenblut | snow | 3046 | 9994 |
| Sonnblickscharte | Rauris to Heiligenblut | snow | 2979 | 9774 |
| Vörder Umbaltorl | Prägraten to Ahrntal | snow | 2928 | 9607 |
| Obersulzbachtorl | Prägraten to Wald im Pinzgau | snow | 2926 | 9600 |
| Untersulzbachtorl | Innergschlöß to Wald im Pinzgau | snow | 2865 | 9400 |
| Schwarzkopfscharte | Innergschlöß to Bramberg | snow | 2850 | 9351 |
| Prägratertorl | Prägraten to Defereggental | foot path | 2846 | 9338 |
| Glodistorl | Lienz to Kals | snow | 2832 | 9292 |
| Antholzerscharte | Rein in Taufers to Rasen-Antholz | snow | 2820 | 9252 |
| Krimmlertorl | Krimmler Achental to Obersulzbachtal | snow | 2814 | 9233 |
| Goldzechscharte | Rauris to Heiligenblut | snow | 2810 | 9220 |
| Kalsertorl | Lienz to Kals | snow | 2803 | 9197 |
| Ober Tramerscharte | Rauris to Döllach | snow | 2802 | 9193 |
| Kleine Elendscharte | Bad Gastein to Gmünd | snow | 2739 | 8987 |
| Kleine Zirknitzscharte | Rauris to Döllach | snow | 2719 | 8921 |
| Mallnitzerscharte | Mallnitz to Gmünd | snow | 2677 | 8783 |
| Große Elendscharte | Mallnitz to upper Maltatal | snow | 2673 | 8770 |
| Unter Pfandlscharte | Ferleiten to Heiligenblut | snow | 2665 | 8744 |
| Bergertorl | Ferleiten to Heiligenblut | foot path | 2650 | 8695 |
| Kaprunertorl | Kaprun to upper Stubachtal | snow | 2635 | 8645 |
| Virgner or Defereggertorl | Defereggental to Virgen | foot path | 2617 | 8586 |
| Backlenke or Trojerjoch | Defereggental to Prägraten | foot path | 2613 | 8573 |
| Felber Tauern | Matrei in Osttirol to Mittersill | bridle path | 2540 | 8334 |
| Kalser Tauern | Kals to Mittersill | foot path | 2512 | 8242 |
| Hohe Tauern | Bad Gastein to Mallnitz | bridle path | 2463 | 8081 |
| Niedere or Mallnitzer Tauern | Bad Gastein to Mallnitz | bridle path | 2414 | 7920 |
| Fuschertorl | Ferleiten to the Seidlwinkeltal | foot path | 2405 | 7891 |
| Klammljoch | Defereggental to Sand in Taufers | bridle path | 2291 | 7517 |
| Arlscharte | Gmünd to Sankt Johann im Pongau | foot path | 2251 | 7386 |
| Kals Matreiertorl | Kals to Matrei | bridle path | 2206 | 7238 |
| Stanz | Bad Gastein to Rauris | foot path | 2103 | 6900 |
Read more about this topic: Hohe Tauern
Famous quotes containing the word passes:
“All that a city will ever allow you is an angle on it—an oblique, indirect sample of what it contains, or what passes through it; a point of view.”
—Peter Conrad (b. 1948)