Porsche 911 Targa 4S, Austria, Dolomites & Stelvio – are you ready?

by Sara Norris

On the 31st of July early morning Porsche can expect me outside their press fleet garage. Very early morning (no time to waste!). I am picking up the Porsche 911 Targa 4S and taking it on a five day drive to Austria and Italy.

Planning the route has been great fun, because the mountain roads in Austria are yet undiscovered by me. I had absolutely no idea there are so many scenic drives in Austria, now five days does not feel like enough to do everything I want to do!

Grossglockner

But there is a plan. On day one I will drive from Stuttgart to Lienz, via Grossglockner High Alpine Road. Long day of driving, reward comes when I will check in later that day at Grandhotel Lienz. My reason for checking in to a five star hotel is that this hotel is part of a driving tour we arrange – I do not usually sleep in five star on my road trips. I am not even sure if I have stayed in a five star hotel before, probably not.

Grand Hotel Lienz

Day two takes me to Dolomites. I took the BMW Z4 there last year and I am a huge fan of those landscapes. However I expect more traffic this time (August weekend vs. mid October), but hopefully it will be a nice drive anyway. Giau Pass and Pordoi Pass top my wishlist this year, because those are two great passes I did not drive in the Dolomites last year. Overnight stop Tenuta Contarini is located 70 km north from Venice. I chose the place for their tree alley. Gorgeous tree alley and nice car and a camera: love it.

…If I get bad weather I will cry.

Alley

SONY DSC

On day three I will drive to Stelvio. I did not plan to include Stelvio on this trip but then I realized I will be so close to it anyway that I just have to go. I was there in 2012, I was there in 2013, and this year I am going there at least two times. But it is a fantastic road. What makes me even more excited this time is that I will wake up there also. Four-five in the morning I am going to walk out from Berghotel Franzenshöhe and hopefully see a sunrise over Stelvio Pass for the first (but definitely not last) time in my life.

I repeat, if I get bad weather I will cry.

Berghotel Franzenshohe

Furstenhaus am Achensee

On day four, after perfect sunrise of course, the route takes me from Stelvio to Jaufenpass, Timmelsjoch and finally Hotel Fürstenhaus am Achensee. Timmelsjoch looks absolutely stunning in photos. Anyone want to climb up on top of the mountain and shoot some video…? ;-)


(I first planned to post the Deutsch version but Italian sounds better……)

Day five takes me back to Stuttgart (Porsche, expect late arrival and sad girl). I would love to include Kaunertal Glacier Road, if it is good weather, but I might be too time optimistic if I try to include it and have to return the car in the afternoon. If I can not include Kaunertal this time, I will definitely try to see this road before end of this season. And replace Kaunertal with Hahntennsjoch instead for drive back.

Kaunertal Glacier Road

Overly excited about my route (and the Porsche 911 Targa 4S too, will look great in photos)? Totally. May the weather Gods be kind to me.

(Live updates when I travel go on Twitter or Instagram)

Photos in this post are press photos from the hotel, road and Porsche websites

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