The Road South

I did not know but there is a relatively new motorway that runs south from Salzberg to Villach and then it splits into 2, one route to Italy and the other to Slovenia. Without actually going there it would not be appreciated that this part of Austria is one of the most mountainous parts of Europe, with vast ranges and deep ravines. The road is a major feat of engineering and to travel it for the first time is breathtaking. One minute the road is like any other 2-lane motorway, but there is little in term of speed regulation so the traffic  moves briskly. Those used to UK lazy selfish driving would get  shock when dawdling at 70mph in the fast lane when a big black Mercedes Benz comes howling up behind at 140mph lights blazing.
There are no straight bits and it all kicks off when the first series of tunnels occur. Much of the carriageway is built on pillars and the drop over the side is huge, sometimes you look quickly down to see the tops of the trees hundreds of feet below. The first tunnel ends suddenly and the road springs out into a deep gorge with mountains front and rear very little sky and a deep gorge with a blue water torrent way down below. This is repeated over and over again with the road on stilts between one tunnel and the next.

Typical scenery of the A10 Autobahn in Austria. Road built up on vast viaducts, disappearing into a tunnel under a range of mountains

Here we go, another tunnel! I am in the slow lane juggling the camera...naughty!

They even fit high screens to the carriageway to stop the vehicles being blow off and falling to the valley floor hundreds of feet below.

The longest is the Karawankentunnel which is 5 miles long and is just over the border in Slovenia

This is the view from inside the mountain, at a cost of Euro 6.50.

An exciting ride. If you suffer from vertigo/claustrophobia get somebody else to drive!

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