History of the Glacier Road
For the most part, the
Kaunertal Glacier Road exists along origin prehistoric paths. It follows the old way to the pilgrimage site, Kaltenbrunn in the Kaunertal Valley (Tyrol, Austria), over the Weisseejoch Mt (2,960 m) towards Melagg in the Langtaufer Valley (South Tyrol, Italy). Pilgrims and pilgrimage trails often follow old trails and historical crossroads, which date back to the Middle Ages.
Today, the trip along the Kaunertal Glacial Road is a
popular destination for bus groups, motorcyclists, auto travel and bicycles. There are annually over 150,000 visitors during the summer alone, who come to visit one of Austria’s most beautiful high alpine roads.
Travelling with the Post Bus
During the 1930’s, travelling with the Post Bus to the Gepatschhaus was a popular tourist attraction. There has been a Post Bus operating from Feichten to the Gepatschhaus since 1932, which used to be a gravel road through Alpine pastures and meadows.
Construction of the Lake Gepatsch Reservoir
The Tyrolean Water Power Works AG (TIWAG) built Europe’s highest elevated mounded dam in the Kaunertal Valley, between 1961 and 1965 (140 mil liters storage volume, 160 m high concrete wall). During the course of the construction time, the road from Feichten to the Gepatschhaus was widened and asphalted.
Opening up the Kaunertal Glacier
From 1979 until 1980 the Kaunertal Glacier Road was expanded from the reservoir’s water inlet to the Glacier Restaurant at 2,750 m above sea level, in order to make the glacial ski area accessible to skiers.
