Climbs in Germany: Rossfeld panoramic road - Rossfeld panoramic road: summit section

Built during the Third Reich, the road, which starts at an altitude of around 1,000 metres on the Obersalzberg, was intended to form the eastern end of the German Alpine Road. Two access roads on the Bavarian side and one on the Salzburg side lead up to this ring road.

In Berchtesgaden you start at 570 metres above sea level, the starting point in the Salzach Valley is 450 metres above sea level. The southern ramp directly from Berchtesgaden is notorious among cyclists. If you start cranking from the cold, you will swallow hard right after the start when the gradient sign announces 24 per cent. The most difficult section is only a few hundred metres long, but even after that the gradient remains well into double figures. At kilometre 2.3, another sign, this time with "20 %", dashes all hope of an end to the pain. The ordeal continues until the Obersalzberg, then you can breathe a sigh of relief on a flat kilometre to the Klaushöhe toll station. The remaining six kilometres to Scheitelhöhe are a climb of around eight per cent through the forest. Spectacular views of the Hohe Göll rock massif only open up from the uppermost hairpin bends. The 1.5 kilometre long, almost flat summit section runs just inside Austrian territory, between the Ahornbüchsenkopf and Hennenköpfl car parks. This section offers the best views - back towards Berchtesgaden and down into the Salzach valley.

On the first kilometre of the northern ascent, which also starts from the Berchtesgaden valley, cyclists can enjoy a beautiful view of the Watzmann massif. Although the north side lacks the extreme ramps, it is still challenging with an average gradient of 8.7 per cent. Several tough, long straights are particularly strenuous. Approximately at the Oberau toll station, the variant coming up from Hallein in the Salzach Valley joins the Rossfeld ring road.

You can find the passport profile as a PDF download below.

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