Central Eastern Alps
Encyclopedia
The Central Eastern Alps comprise the main chain
of the Eastern Alps
with its highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps
and the Southern Limestone Alps
, from which they differ in geological composition.
Mainly located in Austria
, they extend from the foot of the Bergamo Alps
at Lake Como
and the Bernina Range
in the Graubünden
canton of eastern Switzerland
along the Liechtenstein
shore of the Rhine in the west as far as to the lower promontories
east of the Mur river including the Hochwechsel
in Austrian Styria
. The valleys of the rivers Inn, Salzach
and Enns mark the northern, the Drava
(roughly corresponding with the Periadriatic Seam
) the southern border.
Ranges of the Central Eastern Alps according to the Alpine Club classification
(from east to west):
The southwestern Albula, Plessur, Oberhalbstein, Livigno, Bernina and Bergamo ranges (17-22) are also subsumed under the Western Limestone Alps
division.
Main chain of the Alps
The Alpine divide is the central line of mountains that forms the water divide of the range. Main chains of mountain ranges are traditionally designated in this way, and generally include the highest peaks of a range; the Alps are something of an unusual case in that several significant groups of...
of the Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps
Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Splügen Pass in eastern Switzerland. North of the Splügen Pass, the Posterior Rhine forms the border, and south of the pass, the Liro river and Lake Como form the boundary line.-Geography:The...
with its highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germany. The distinction from the latter group, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological composition...
and the Southern Limestone Alps
Southern Limestone Alps
The Southern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps mainly located in northern Italy and the adjacent lands of Austria and Slovenia. The distinction from the Central Alps, where the higher peaks are located, is based on differences in geological...
, from which they differ in geological composition.
Mainly located in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, they extend from the foot of the Bergamo Alps
Bergamo Alps
The Bergamo Alps are a mountain range in the Italian Alps which forms part of the Central Eastern Alps. They are located in northern Lombardy and named after the city Bergamo, south of the mountains....
at Lake Como
Lake Como
Lake Como is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. It has an area of 146 km², making it the third largest lake in Italy, after Lake Garda and Lake Maggiore...
and the Bernina Range
Bernina Range
The Bernina Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps. It is one of the highest ranges of the Alps, covered with many glaciers. Piz Bernina , its highest peak, is the most easterly four thousand-metre...
in the Graubünden
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
canton of eastern Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
along the Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
shore of the Rhine in the west as far as to the lower promontories
Promontory
Promontory may refer to:*Promontory, a prominent mass of land which overlooks lower lying land or a body of water*Promontory, Utah, the location where the United States first Transcontinental Railroad was completed...
east of the Mur river including the Hochwechsel
Wechsel Pass
Wechsel Pass is a high mountain pass in the Austrian Alps, located between the Bundesländer of Lower Austria and Styria.Along with Semmering Pass, Wechsel Pass is one of the most important connections between Lower Austria and Styria...
in Austrian Styria
Styria (state)
Styria is a state or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. In area it is the second largest of the nine Austrian federated states, covering 16,401 km². It borders Slovenia as well as the other Austrian states of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, and Carinthia. ...
. The valleys of the rivers Inn, Salzach
Salzach
The Salzach is a river in Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Inn and is 225 kilometres in length.The river's name is derived from the German word Salz, meaning "salt". Until the 19th century shipping of salt down the river was an important part of the local economy...
and Enns mark the northern, the Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
(roughly corresponding with the Periadriatic Seam
Periadriatic Seam
The Periadriatic Seam is a distinct geologic fault in Southern Europe, running S-shaped about 1000 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea through the whole Southern Alps as far as Hungary. It forms the division between the Adriatic plate and the European plate...
) the southern border.
Ranges of the Central Eastern Alps according to the Alpine Club classification
Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps
The Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps or AVE is a division of the Eastern Alps into 75 mountain groups and is commonly used in mountaineering...
(from east to west):
|
Samnaun Alps The Samnaun Alps are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps, named after the Swiss municipality of Samnaun. They are located at the border of the Austrian state of Tyrol and the Graubünden canton of Switzerland.The range includes the following peaks:... (12) Verwall Alps The Verwall Alps or Verwall Group are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps at the border of the Austrian states of Tyrol and Vorarlberg.It includes the following peaks:*Patteriol 3,059 metres... (13) Rätikon The Rätikon is a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps located at the border between Vorarlberg, Liechtenstein and Graubünden. It is the geological border between the Eastern and Western Alps and stretches from the Montafon as far as the Rhine. In the south, the Prättigau is its limit, in the... (14) Silvretta The Silvretta Alps are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps shared by Tirol, Vorarlberg and Graubünden . The Austrian states of Tirol and Vorarlberg are connected by a pass road . The majority of the peaks are elevated above three thousand metres and are surrounded by glaciers... (15) Sesvenna Range The Sesvenna Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland, northern Italy and western Austria. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps.... (16) Albula Range The Albula Alps is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps. It is named after the River Albula... (17) Plessur Range The Plessur Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps. It is named after the river Plessur, which originates from the center of the ranges... (18) Oberhalbstein Range The Oberhalbstein Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps... (19) Livigno Range The Livigno Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy, around the Italian village Livigno. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps.... (20) Bernina Range The Bernina Range is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland and northern Italy. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps. It is one of the highest ranges of the Alps, covered with many glaciers. Piz Bernina , its highest peak, is the most easterly four thousand-metre... (21) Bergamo Alps The Bergamo Alps are a mountain range in the Italian Alps which forms part of the Central Eastern Alps. They are located in northern Lombardy and named after the city Bergamo, south of the mountains.... (22) |
The southwestern Albula, Plessur, Oberhalbstein, Livigno, Bernina and Bergamo ranges (17-22) are also subsumed under the Western Limestone Alps
Limestone Alps
The Limestone Alps are the two mountain ranges, roughly long, which run parallel to the main mountain range of the Austrian Central Alps and to its north and south...
division.