Edelweißspitze, Mountain summit in Salzburg, Austria

Edelweißspitze is a 2,572 m summit of the Glockner Group in the High Tauern, northeast of the Großglockner. It forms the highest point of the toll Großglockner High Alpine Road, reached by the Edelweißstraße, a 1.5 km cobbled branch road with seven hairpin bends and gradients up to 14%. At the top are a car park and a stone lookout tower with an oval plan.

The mountain was previously known by several names including Poneck and Leitenkogel before the Grossglockner High Alpine Road was constructed. The development of road access transformed the peak into a landmark on this major Alpine passage.

The name comes from two Edelweiß features: the Edelweißwand below the Piffkar ridge and the Edelweißleite slope, named in 1935. Road builder Franz Wallack chose Edelweißspitze for the former Poneck summit. In the stone lookout tower, a Bikers Point serves motorcyclists, and panels in four languages cover the three international Großglockner car and motorcycle races of the 1930s.

The summit is accessed via the Edelweißstraße, a branch road from the Grossglockner High Alpine Road that climbs to the highest accessible point along the scenic route. The final approach involves steep sections and demands careful attention from visitors.

The 1.5 km access road, opened in 1935, has seven hairpin bends and a maximum gradient of 14 percent; cars with trailers and coaches are barred. Many motorcyclists and cyclists treat the cobbled top as a finish line. The summit was lowered by about 6 m when the car park was built.