Austria has a category of road that barely exists elsewhere: the privately operated scenic mountain road, built for the view, maintained to a high standard and charged for at a barrier. Three of them sit outside the famous Grossglockner and Timmelsjoch pair — the Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße in Vorarlberg and Tyrol, the Nockalmstraße in Carinthia and the Gerlos Alpenstraße in Salzburg. All three carry a toll. All three have specific rules that catch riders out, and one of them is currently closed on its most famous side.
Route at a glance
| Road | Detail |
|---|---|
| Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße | 22.3 km / 13.9 miles, Partenen to Galtür via the Bielerhöhe at 2,037 m / 6,683 ft; western ramp 32 hairpins over about 15 km at up to 12 per cent; eastern Tyrolean ramp about 10 km with only two hairpins |
| Silvretta status | closed between the Partenen toll station and the Vermuntsee since the 2024 debris flows; closed for the 2025 and 2026 seasons; the operator's plan targets construction in 2027–2029 and reopening for the 2030 season |
| Nockalmstraße | about 34 km / 21 miles, Innerkrems to Ebene Reichenau, 52 hairpins, up to 12 per cent; high points at 2,049 m / 6,722 ft near the Eisentalhöhe and the Schiestelscharte at 2,027 m / 6,650 ft |
| Nockalm rules | open early May to end of October, 08:00 to 18:00; motorcycles are not permitted on the road between 18:00 and 08:00; cars with caravans are banned |
| Gerlos Alpenstraße | toll section from Krimml to the Gerlos Pass, highest point 1,628 m / 5,341 ft; the 12 km two-lane section climbs 558 m at up to 9 per cent |
| Operators | Silvretta is owned by illwerke vkw; Nockalm and Gerlos are run by Großglockner Hochalpenstraßen AG |
| Tolls | all three charge; rates change annually, so check the operators' own sites |
| Noise rules | a Tyrolean ordinance bans motorcycles with a registered standing noise level above 95 dB(A) from certain roads |
To load the Carinthian road onto your phone before you leave, open the Innerkrems to Ebene Reichenau directions and send them to your navigation app. That is the full Nockalmstraße traverse.
Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße, and why you should check before you go
On paper this is one of the best roads in the Eastern Alps. It runs 22.3 km / 13.9 miles between Partenen in the Vorarlberg Montafon and Galtür in the Tyrolean Paznaun, over the Bielerhöhe at 2,037 m / 6,683 ft next to the Silvretta reservoir, and it carries around 400,000 users a year. The two sides are completely different roads. The western climb from Partenen stacks 32 hairpins into roughly 15 km with a maximum gradient of 12 per cent. The eastern side from Wirl, just outside Galtür, covers about 10 km to the same point with only two bends worth the name, and the toll station sits at 1,725 m.
The road exists because of hydro power. A cart track was widened from 1925 to carry material to the Vermunt dam and extended to the Bielerhöhe from 1938. The through road opened in 1954 and was widened to two lanes along its full length by 1961.
The part to plan around. On 12 July 2024 a rockfall came down between hairpins 13 and 14. The following day, after heavy rain, a far larger debris flow buried 135 m of road to a depth of three to four metres, and a second flow hit the same spot in August. Another debris flow in July 2025 ended hopes of opening that season. The road has remained closed between the Partenen toll station and the Vermuntsee, which means the Bielerhöhe and the reservoir are reachable by vehicle only from the Tyrolean side. In March 2026 the operator announced a comprehensive scheme of realignments and protective dams, with the approvals process starting after detailed planning in summer 2026, a possible construction decision in spring 2027, works across the 2027 to 2029 seasons and reopening targeted for the 2030 season. As of August 2026 that is the position, and it is exactly the kind of thing a printed guide will not tell you, so check the operator's status page before routing over it.
Even in a normal year the Silvretta is a summer road. Winter closure typically runs November to May, and late snow moves the opening: after the snowy winter of 2018/19 it opened on 20 June, and in 2021 on 18 June, while a mild autumn once kept it open until 25 November.
Nockalmstraße, and the rule that ruins evenings
The Nockalm Road is the friendliest big mountain road in Austria and the one with the most easily missed restriction. It runs about 34 km / 21 miles from Innerkrems to Ebene Reichenau through 52 hairpins with gradients up to 12 per cent, crossing a shoulder of the Eisentalhöhe at 2,049 m / 6,722 ft and the Schiestelscharte at 2,027 m / 6,650 ft. It opened as a toll road in 1981 and has been operated by Großglockner Hochalpenstraßen AG since 1995.
Unlike the granite drama of the western Alps, the Nockberge are rounded, grassy and green almost to the tops, which gives this road a completely different character: fast, flowing, rhythmic, with sight lines that actually let you see the next bend. The land on both sides is the core zone of the Salzburger Lungau and Kärntner Nockberge biosphere reserve, protected since 1987 after a public campaign killed a proposed ski development. In Carinthian dialect a sharp bend is a Reidn, and since 2006 the bends here have carried the dialect names of local wildflowers.
The rule. The road is open from the beginning of May to the end of October, daily from 08:00 to 18:00, and motorcycles are not permitted between 18:00 and 08:00. That is not the same as the road being shut; it is a motorcycle-specific restriction. Plan the Nockalm as a mid-day ride, not as the golden-hour finish to a long day, and do not assume you can slip through at seven in the evening. Cars towing caravans are banned outright.
Gerlos Alpenstraße and the Krimml waterfalls
The Gerlos Alpenstraße is a shorter, more functional pleasure. It is a private toll road running from Krimml in the Salzburg Oberpinzgau up to the Gerlos Pass, topping out at 1,628 m / 5,341 ft. The 12 km two-lane section built between 1960 and 1962 gains 558 m at a maximum of nine per cent, and it opened on 1 December 1962; the Tyrolean link to Gerlos village followed in 1964 alongside the Durlaßboden reservoir. It was planned by Franz Wallack, the engineer behind the Grossglockner road, which shows in how the alignment is laid into the hillside.
The reason to ride it is what sits at the bottom. Krimml has Austria's best-known waterfalls, and the road climbs directly past the valley they drop into, which makes the viewpoints on the way up genuinely worth stopping at rather than a tourist obligation. It is also the natural link between the Salzburg pass country and the Zillertal, so it fits neatly into a week that includes the Glockner.
Practical information
Tolls. All three roads charge, and they are separate from the national motorway vignette. The Silvretta is charged by illwerke vkw, the Nockalm and Gerlos by Großglockner Hochalpenstraßen AG, which also sells combination tickets covering more than one of its roads. Rates change every year, so check the operators' own sites for current figures and for what a motorcycle ticket includes. Austria's motorway network separately requires a vignette, and some tunnels carry their own charge.
Season. These are summer roads. The Nockalm runs early May to the end of October; the Silvretta is normally a May to November road when it is open at all; the Gerlos section is kept open longer because it serves ski areas, but conditions on it are winter conditions. As of August 2026 those are the published patterns, and weather moves them by weeks in either direction, so check the operator before committing a travel day.
Noise rules. Tyrol operates an ordinance banning motorcycles with a registered standing noise level above 95 dB(A) from certain roads. The figure comes from your registration document, not from a roadside meter, which means a bike with an aftermarket exhaust can be non-compliant on paper even if it is quiet in use. Check the value on your papers before you plan a Tyrolean route, and expect police to check it.
Livestock. Grazing is heavy along the Silvretta in summer and the operator warns explicitly that animals on the carriageway and consequent vehicle damage are to be expected. The same is true on the Nockalm, where cattle wander between the alpine huts.
Fuel. Fill in the valley towns — Partenen, Galtür, Krimml, Innerkrems — before you start a toll road. There is no fuel on any of the three.
Gear notes
These roads make three specific demands.
The first is cold at altitude. A 1,300 m climb from a warm valley to a 2,000 m pass drops tyre pressure measurably, and on a road with 52 hairpins that matters. It is worth reading why tyre pressure drops in cold weather before an Alpine week, and a Bluetooth TPMS sensor gives you pressure and temperature while riding rather than at the toll booth.
The second is navigation around closures. With the Silvretta blocked on its western side, routing between Vorarlberg and the Paznaun means a long detour, and mobile coverage in these valleys is patchy. A head unit that stores maps locally, such as the JADO S6 motorcycle riding system, is what makes a reroute painless. If the category is unfamiliar, read the plain explanation of a motorcycle riding system first.
The third is power. Toll roads mean early starts and long days away from sockets, and cold drains batteries faster than riders expect. A 100 W bi-directional fast charger covers the phone, the head unit and a camera between hotels.
FAQ
Is the Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße open?
Not on the Vorarlberg side. The section between the Partenen toll station and the Vermuntsee has been closed since the July 2024 debris flows, and it stayed closed through the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The Bielerhöhe is reachable by road from the Tyrolean side at Galtür. The operator's plan targets works in 2027 to 2029 and reopening for the 2030 season, so check the current status before routing over it.
Can motorcycles use the Nockalmstraße in the evening?
No. Motorcycles are not permitted on the Nockalm Road between 18:00 and 08:00. The road itself is open from 08:00 to 18:00 from early May to the end of October, so plan it as a daytime ride.
Do these roads need the Austrian motorway vignette?
The vignette covers motorways and expressways, not these roads. Each of the three charges its own separate toll at a barrier. If your route also uses Austrian motorways, you need the vignette as well.
Which of the three is the best ride?
For pure riding, the Nockalmstraße, because 52 well-sighted bends over 34 km with a good surface is a rare combination. The Silvretta western ramp is more dramatic when it is open. The Gerlos is the shortest and works best as a link rather than a destination.
Are there noise restrictions for motorcycles in Austria?
In Tyrol, yes. An ordinance bans motorcycles with a registered standing noise level above 95 dB(A) from certain roads, based on the figure in your vehicle documents. Check your papers before planning a Tyrolean route.
How do these fit with the famous passes?
They combine well. The Gerlos links Salzburg's pass country to the Zillertal and sits a short ride from the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, while the Silvretta is the natural neighbour of the Timmelsjoch High Alpine Road on a Tyrol week.
Sources
- Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße, German Wikipedia — de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvretta-Hochalpenstraße
- Nockalmstraße, German Wikipedia — de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nockalmstraße
- Nockalmstraße prices and opening hours, official site — nockalmstrasse.at
- Gerlos Alpenstraße, German Wikipedia — de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerlos_Alpenstraße
- Austrian noise-based road bans, FEMA — femamotorcycling.eu/austrian-road-bans-must-end/
