Edelweissspitze

Edelweissspitze is the highest point in Austria that you can drive to. It's fairly easy to reach with a short jog off the Grossglockner High Alpine Road. From the viewing tower the view spreads out incredibly in every direction. From this stunning viewpoint, on a clear day you can more than thirty peaks above 3,000 metres and numerous glaciers spread out across the horizon. Shooting from the tower itself gives you chance to play with the full panorama, while shooting from the many trails gives you chance to focus on specific peaks and views. Clear mornings will give you the sharpest air and the best chance of catching the far peaks before haze builds later in the day. So arriving as you as you can gives you many more shooting options and views to experiment with. Storms roll in fast up here so make sure to keep an eye on the sky while you are shooting and don't linger if clouds start closing in. The small mountain inn just below the summit, the Edelweisshütte, also makes a good shooting subject if you want to add a sense of scale against the peaks instead of open rock and sky. Parking at the top is limited and fills quickly in summer. Go early. To use this section of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road there is a toll. A photogenic winding road with tight hairpins takes you right up to Edelweissspitze, but keep in mind the road doesn' t allow caravans or any vehicle over 3.5 tonnes. And because of its alpine setting it is only open during the warmer months, typically May through October depending on when the snow melts and arrives each year. (Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße, Salzburg, Austria)