The 4-star hotel Nationalpark Lodge Großglockner (formerly Hotel Glocknerhof), is located in the middle of the famous mountaineering village of Heiligenblut am Großglockner, where alpine history was written. Here nature experiences and mountain adventures are right on your doorstep. Discover the untouched natural landscape of the Hohe Tauern National Park directly from the hotel. The Nationalpark Lodge Großglockner combines the design and amenities of a modern four-star hotel with the flair and tradition of an alpine accommodation. Whether in the SPA with wild herb scent and panoramic view or in the pioneer bar by the blazing open fireplace.
The Glocknerhof Heiligenblut
The postcard motif is world famous and inspires our guests. For us it is home. Our living space, with whose nature, culture and history we feel deeply connected. The first documented settlements in Heiligenblut go back to the third century BC. In addition to agriculture and animal husbandry, mule farming and gold mining brought the first prosperity to the valley.
From 1273 pilgrims came to the “Holy Bluet” of the Byzantine general Briccius in Heiligenblut. In 1491 the new parish church of St. Vincent was opened to accommodate the steady number of pilgrims. From 1642 our ancestors accommodated guests right next to the church who wanted to recover from the stresses of the pilgrimage. How cozy they had it at the hostel back then is not known.
With the first ascent of the Großglockner, the development of alpinism and the construction of the Großglockner High Alpine Road, tourism began to move into Heiligenblut. Today Heiligenblut stands for modern, gentle tourism. From cozy to sporty. From nature to culture. There is definitely something for everyone at the foot of the Grossglockner.
The National Park Lodge Grossglockner is your hotel in Heiligenblut. – Here you dream your adventure!
SKIING AT THE GROSSGLOCKNER
It couldn’t be more convenient. The Großglockner / Heiligenblut ski area is right on our doorstep. The equipment can also be rented or purchased in-house from Intersport Großglockner.
Großglockner / Heiligenblut ski area –
TOP OF AUSTRIA
Define freedom!
Skiing in the middle of Austria’s most breathtaking mountains. With its 3,798m, the Großglockner towers above everything. The terrain is huge and varied. Modern facilities take you to the varied descents. Whether on groomed slopes or in open terrain. Your skier’s heart will beat faster.
Heiligenblut has been an Eldorado for lovers of well-groomed swinging in the snow since the 1960s. What distinguishes our ski area from others is not the upgraded and resource-consuming facilities, but the love of nature and the desire to become one with the wilderness.
Our guests love the clarity of the ski area and the opportunity to dive into the endless expanse of the Grossglockner. Is there anything more brilliant than skiing in the snow-covered landscape of the Hohe Tauern National Park?
The facts
55 kilometers of slopes in all levels of difficulty
12 modern and comfortable lifts
4 ski routes and 1,500 ha freeride area in 6 freeride sectors
Freeride checkpoint at the Rossbach middle station
Secure your winter vacation now! HERE you can find the offers / packages …
Free ski fun for Sunnycard owners
The SunnyCard enables inexpensive winter sports fun in 9 ski areas in Austria (Hochkar, Ötscher, Heiligenblut, Hinterstoder, Wurzeralm, Hochficht, Kössen, Kasberg-Grünau, Schnalstaler Gletscher) and is THE season ticket for ski-loving families – because: if both parents have a season ticket, go Children born in or after 2009 are free!
THE GROSSGLOCKNER – THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN AUSTRIA
It is the year 1800. The expedition, consisting of 62 people and organized by Prince Bishop Franz II. Xaver von Salm-Reifferscheidt-Krautheim, finally managed to climb the Großglockner for the first time. A milestone in alpine history has been set.
Further expeditions followed, primarily serving science, research and cartography. In the middle of the 19th century, a form of alpinism emerged that put sporting over scientific interest. At that time, Heiligenblut was the only starting point for climbing the Grossglockner. Bell tourism quickly developed into a profitable business. From 1858 the landlords of the Glocknerwirt in the mountain guide house took over the mediation of the mountain guides.
If you want to climb the Großglockner today, you can choose from a variety of routes of different levels of difficulty. The first ascent of Heiligenblut through the Leitertal (Bishop Salm Weg) is the easiest ascent on the Carinthian side. It scores with untouched nature, scenic beauty and is less frequented than many other routes to the coveted summit.
The Nationalpark Lodge Grossglockner is your base camp for your Grossglockner ascent. – Here you dream your adventure! And if we have piqued your interest in climbing the Glockner, you can find all the information you need about the Grossglockner package myth HERE
NATURAL JEWEL
NATIONAL PARK HOHE TAUERN
The Hohe Tauern National Park is the largest national park in Austria and the largest protected area in the Alpine region. The 1,856 km² area extends across the federal states of Carinthia, Salzburg and Tyrol and includes one of the last large natural landscapes in Austria. The area is divided into a core zone under strict protection and an outer zone.
The untouched alpine open space of the Hohe Tauern National Park is a habitat for typical alpine animals such as chamois, ibex, marmots, golden eagles or mountain hares. Extensive rock and glacier areas, impressive waterfalls, wildly romantic valleys and typical alpine areas characterize the landscape.
We want to pass on our passion for the uniquely beautiful nature of the Hohe Tauern to our guests in the Into-the-Wild program and let them experience unforgettable moments.
The National Park Lodge Grossglockner is your hotel in the Hohe Tauern National Park. – Here you dream your adventure!
YOUR HOTEL DIRECTLY ON GROSSGLOCKNER HOCHALPENSTRASSE
The trip to Heiligenblut is a real pleasure when the Großglockner High Alpine Road is open. It can be driven from the beginning of May to the end of October, depending on the weather conditions. ATTENTION WINTER LOCK!
The Großglockner high alpine road in Fusch-Ferleiten in the Salzburg region has connected with Heiligenblut since 1935. Over a total of 48 kilometers, the pass road winds deep into the Hohe Tauern National Park in 36 hairpin bends. The highest point of the Großglockner High Alpine Road is the Edelweißspitze with almost 2,500 m.
You can take short walks or take long hikes along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. In addition, exhibitions and museums, info points and educational trails invite you to discover them. Families with children can learn all about the construction of the road and nature in the high Alps on the four themed playgrounds.
The National Park Lodge Grossglockner is your hotel on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. – Here you dream your adventure!
THE HISTORY OF TAUERNGOLD
The search for the legendary Tauern gold in the Hohe Tauern can be traced back to antiquity. With unimaginable efforts today, the precious metal was wrested from the mountains around our lodge in the manual underground mining operation. And even today you can go on a journey through time to long gone golden times and with a bit of luck and patience you can even find a little gold dust while panning for gold.
The main mining areas were in the Goldberg group. In the Sonnblick and Goldzech area, in the Fleißtal and Goldbergspitze as well as Eckberg in the Zirknitztal. But not only in this area, but in the entire upper Mölltal with its side valleys, gold was searched for and dug. Everywhere was searched, mined and pounded to extract the blessing from the mountain. Gold mining had its last and greatest heyday around 1600, before a massive deterioration in the climate caused the boldly created gold tunnels to disappear under glacial tongues for centuries.
The ore-bearing rock was roughly sorted in front of the tunnel or the deaf rock was separated out, the holding rock was then brought to the knocking mill in sacks, mostly of pigskin, at Seebichl and at the Old Pocher in the Fleißtal valley, as well as at the upper alpine huts in the Zirknitztal valley . There the rock was pounded again, the deaf rock was excreted. The ore-containing parts were then brought to the gold mill and gold melt in Döllach, where the gold and silver were then extracted.
In the heyday of mining, 3,000 and more miners, chest pushers, separators, sack pullers, Schiener (surveyors), Pocher and smelters were employed in the mining industry.
For centuries, gold panning in Heiligenblut had been a peasant business and even after the Second World War, a few people tried to secure their livelihood with gold panning. Gold panning did not become a holiday hobby until 1974 when Rudolf Ertl and Raimund Granögger started their first gold panning activities for holidaymakers.
Even today you can go on a journey back in time to the golden ages long past in the communities of the Goldberg Group mentioned:
In Döllach (municipality of Grosskirchheim) – the former center of gold mining – there is a circular hiking trail, as well as the elaborately restored “coal ingot”, which was used to smelt lead and zinc after the gold mining boom. At the Putzenhof (a 500 year old goldsmiths’ workshop) the exhibition “Tauerngold” presents the gold treasures from the past.
In the gold-digging village of Heiligenblut, it is demonstrated how gold ore was once mined in the tunnels with hard work and brought down to the valley from the high mountain ranges in winter. A gold digger’s hut and a mountain smithy, a quarry and the Röststadel, where they were crumbled, provide information about the further processing. The heart of the gold mining village is a rebuilt steel mill for crushing the ores. An amalgamation system and a melting furnace are connected to it.
With a little patience, a little gold dust can be washed out of the stream – good luck for your search!
WALKING FROM THE GLACIER TO THE SEA
The Alpe-Adria-Trail is a long-distance hiking trail of superlatives.
The Alpe-Adria-Trail leads from the glacier at the foot of Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner, to the Adriatic sea beach.
It connects three regions in three countries: Carinthia, Slovenia, Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
43 stages over approx. 750 kilometers guide the long-distance hiker through the most beautiful Carinthian mountain and lake areas, through the wild beauty of the Triglav National Park and the lovely Friuli countryside to the sea beach in Muggia.
Hiking on the Alpe-Adria-Trail primarily means enjoyment on paths that have no particular difficulties.
Located on the first two stages of the Alpe Adria Trail, as a partner company we offer interesting offers.
Section 01 Alpe-Adria-Trail: Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe – Heiligenblut
Section 02 Alpe-Adria-Trail: Heiligenblut – Döllach
hotel heiligenblut national park lodge grossglockner region alpe adria trail article picture 1
Hotel Heiligenblut National Park Lodge Grossglockner Region Alpine Adria Trail item image 2
More information about the Alpe-Adria-Trail and bookings.
The National Park Lodge Grossglockner is your hotel right on the Alpe-Adria-Trail. – Here you dream your adventure!
WE PICHLERS CONNECT TRADITION
WITH THE FUTURE
We Pichlers always understood to be one step ahead of the times and yet rooted in tradition. In a mix of the existing with future-oriented visions, we established pioneering facilities for Heiligenblut such as the Bergführerhäusl, after all the first mountain guide agency in Austria, and the Hotel Glocknerhof.
With the National Park Lodge Großglockner we are starting a new era of nature-oriented outdoor holidays.
From hemmers, pilgrims and alpine pioneers.
Centuries ago it was that hemmers transported salt, wine, gold and other goods on horseback across the Alps. Important mule trails led from the north over the Hochtor to Heiligenblut and on to Venice. At the time our hotel was located, there was a hostel and horse changing station, which served the maids as a welcome stopover on their arduous journey.
From 1642 our ancestors housed pilgrims who made a pilgrimage to the famous Heiligenblut pilgrimage church because of the “Holy Bluetes” of the Byzantine general Briccius. From the beginning of the 19th century, alpinists came to imitate the first climbers from 1800 and wanted to climb the Grossglockner.
For the Großglockner aspirants, locals with local knowledge were essential as guides. From 1858 the landlords of the Glocknerwirt took over the mediation of the mountain guides. Where previously adventurous townspeople came to business with their mountain guide in the Bergführerhäusl, today in the Pionbar we provide our guests with delicacies for body and soul. Just as with tips for an unforgettable vacation.
hotel heiligenblut national park lodge grossglockner pioneeable and history article picture 3
Hans Pichler at the Grossglockner summit cross.
hotel heiligenblut national park lodge grossglockner pioneable and history article picture 4
In times of tourism boom.
Our grandfather Hans Pichler built the Hotel Glocknerwirt in 1928 even before Heiligenblut experienced the first tourist boom with the construction of the Großglockner High Alpine Road. The new Hotel Glocknerhof followed in 1972. Since then, the Hotel Glocknerhof has been the leading hotel in Heiligenblut. The Pichler family continuously earned merit as a driving force for tourism both in Heiligenblut and in the entire region.
00: 0014: 16
The Hotel Glocknerhof becomes the National Park Lodge Großglockner.
In 2016/2017 we started to treat the aging Hotel Glocknerhof to a thorough fresh-cell treatment. To set the course for the future in architecture and design as well as in the offer for our guests. The innovative National Park Lodge Großglockner emerges from the traditional Hotel Glocknerhof.
The revitalization of the interior and structural extensions of the Hotel Glocknerhof are being led by the South Tyrolean architect Christina Biasi-von Berg. She skilfully combines the architectural basis and style elements of the 1970s with modern design. The interior of the regional rural culture, spiced up by alpine accents, is carefully integrated into the mix of styles. The result convinces with a feel-good atmosphere that invites you to relax and dream of the wilderness outside.
The future belongs into the wild.
The wilderness outside. This is Into-the-Wild, the Hohe Tauern from its unknown, wild side. With the “Into-the-Wild” program, we want to bring our guests closer to the beauty of the untouched natural landscape of the Hohe Tauern National Park in a gentle way. We want to show them places that only a few know and let them feel nature with all their senses. In order to bring them back safely into the feel-good atmosphere of the National Park Lodge Großglockner.
GROSSGLOCKNER WELLNESS & SPA
Comfortably wild in our new wellness & SPA area.
Glide through the water in the spacious indoor pool. Recharge your batteries in our sauna area. Rest, dream and ponder the adventures of life in the relaxation room and on the sunbathing lawn. While arnica, St. John’s wort, hay and other alpine wild herbs spread their aroma and provide regeneration, relaxation and wellbeing in massages and body packs.
Here you will find our pampering program!
Massages, body wraps and cosmetic treatments
We only use high quality natural products for our massages, body wraps and cosmetic treatments. Many wild herbs come directly from our mountains, from controlled wild collection.
Brands used: Dr. Grandel, Courland
Indoor pool
7 by 14 meters, 28 ° C. Ideal for swimming.
Finnish panoramic sauna
90 ° C, panoramic view of the surrounding mountains.
For fans of the classic sauna.
Brine steam bath
40-45 ° C. Mild, relaxing. For all those who prefer moist warmth to heat.
Organic herbal sauna
50-55 ° C. Wild-scented, soothing and stimulating.
For wilderness heroes and herbal witches.
Relaxation room
Fragrant stone pine, tea corner, library, hay room, panoramic view. And above all, absolute calm. Ideal for dreaming, relaxation and meditation.
Fitness room
Small but nice for fitness lovers. Equipped with the following TechnoGym equipment:
Treadmill
Ergometer
Vertical traction
Chest Press
Ercolina / Poiercolina
Sunbathing area
Comfortably warm because it is protected from the wind and with a great view of the Mölltal. The best place for sun worshipers.
WELL-TASTE FROM THE ALPE-ADRIA ROOM
hotel heiligenblut national park lodge grossglockner culinary article picture 2
The Angus cattle from left to right Pichlerbauer.
The Lamb from the left Christebauer.
The butter from vlg Liendl.
The list of products from suppliers in our immediate vicinity could be continued for as long as required. The regional basic products are processed into the finest Carinthian Alpine Adriatic cuisine.
Influences from all areas of the Alpe-Adria region characterize Carinthian cuisine and give it a cosmopolitan touch. Carinthian specialties impress with their successful combination of hearty alpine and Mediterranean lightness. You limit yourself to the essentials. Namely fresh, natural ingredients from the region, which can be combined without special frills to create special taste experiences.
Wild from the Hohe Tauern.
For our game specialties, we use chamois, deer and roe deer from our own hunting in the Gößnitz, Pasterze, water wheel and hard work, almost from the heart of the Hohe Tauern. Wild animals, carefully guarded and hunted by Hannes and Barbara Pichler, who manage their hunting grounds with great passion.
Our luxury board brings energy.
Anyone who hikes through the Hohe Tauern wilderness consumes energy. With our luxury board, the energy comes back. Tasty and rich in healthy ingredients.
hotel heiligenblut national park lodge grossglockner culinary article picture 1
We look forward to welcoming you to our house and spoiling you with our healthy, fresh and regional cuisine.
Our kitchen team around Mario Ladinig will be happy to cook for you from 12:00 to 17:00 and from 18:30 to 21:00.
We are happy to take table reservations by phone on 04824 2244 or by email to info@nationalparklodge.at!
Click here for the menu
Our luxury board includes
Welcome greeting and welcome drink in the room (from 3 nights)
Rich breakfast buffet with regional specialties
Afternoon snack with sweet and savory
5-course menu in the evening
PIONEERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND CLIMATE PROTECTION
If the climate and our environment mean something to you, you are on holiday with us. Because with us at the National Park Lodge Großglockner, dealing with resources and dealing with the region in which we live has been a philosophy that has been lived for decades and generations.
“Consider the end of everything you do. That is sustainability! ”This apt quote applies to our National Park Lodge Großglockner in particular!
Ecological, social and economical!
With “Into the Wild” we chose the path, instead of using resource-consuming infrastructure, to use the nature of the Hohe Tauern National Park in an innovative and gentle way as our core product.
We are a family-run business in the heart of Heiligenblut and the largest employer in the place – firmly anchored in the social and cultural coexistence of the place.
The principle of regional circular economy is practiced with us by selecting the small business, the craftsmen and above all the agricultural direct marketers of the region as our partners for sustainable business.
CLIMATE PROTECTION
Our contribution to climate protection is omnipresent. A solar system for hot water treatment adorns our roof and that we are the initiator and owner of the Heiligenblut bioenergy plant is a matter of course. This facility for Heiligenblut was particularly important to us – it not only supplies our hotel, but also the entire town center with its hotels in Heiligenblut. In our hotel alone, we save around 80,000 liters of heating oil with this measure.
Since Heiligenblut am Großglockner is not exactly in a conurbation and therefore all goods have to be brought here over long distances, we take special care that we employ suppliers from the region. Trading with regional farmers is simply a must. This is how we can promote local farmers and avoid long, climate-damaging delivery routes.
We also carry out all structural measures in the interests of climate and environmental protection. So we have e.g. all windows in the hotel and in the staff house replaced with modern, heat-insulating windows. In addition, our entire ventilation system is equipped with heat recovery in order to avoid energy losses.
Our lighting system is gradually being replaced by energy-saving LED systems.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Heiligenblut am Großglockner is surrounded by the Hohe Tauern National Park and environmental protection has become a matter of course for us. A local bio-wastewater plant has been in existence since the 1990s, into which we dispose of all wastewater. Waste has also been separated for decades and organized through regional waste disposal.
We are very precise, especially with the cleaning agents we use. Here we only use environmentally certified and therefore gentle means.
Every day is a new opportunity for us to rethink our footprint on this world and to live in harmony with our environment.
When you go on vacation with us, you can rest assured that you are not harming the environment and the climate.
This was our article about the
Nationalpark Lodge Großglockner
Don’t forget to read our article about the Hotel Steinerwirt 1493 in Austria and check out our Instagram.