The glacier was a lot larger and higher when the Austrian Emperor, Franz Josef I, and his wife, Elisabeth (Sissi), visited the Grossglockner in 1856. The place where the Emperor stopped was situated at the Pasterzen Glacier.
Since that time, this place has been called the “Kaiser Franz Josef Höhe”. Nowadays, the “Kaiserstein mit Kaiserstatue” (“Emperor’s Stone with Emperor’s Statue“) serves as a reminder of this past visit. With the permission of the Emperor, the “Kaiser Franz Josef Haus” mountain lodge was built here in 1905.
After the construction of the Glocknerstrasse (Glockner Road) from 1930 – 1935, the "Alpenhotel Kaiser Franz Josef" was built. Unfortunately, this renowned alpine hotel burned down in 1997. The rebuilding of the hotel has not been possible for a long time. However, the “Kaiser Franz Josef Haus“ is currently being rebuilt in its original form, and the “Glocknerkeller“ restaurant (140 seats) as well as the sun terrace are already open. Soon, it will again be possible to stay in the historic mountain lodge overnight. |
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