Austria’s Largest Glacier Is Dying, and an Iconic Road Is Losing Its Main Attraction

Austria’s largest glacier is disappearing before visitors’ eyes, threatening one of the defining sights along the Grossglockner High Alpine Road.

The Pasterze glacier lies below a viewpoint at the end of the high-altitude road, which overlooks Austria’s highest mountain and the adjacent ice field. As the glacier retreats, the famous panorama could soon lose one of its central features.

The warning comes after a catastrophic flood in Nepal at the end of August, triggered by a landslide involving a glacier. Experts say similar situations could also occur in Europe, putting the Austrian Alps on alert.