Gutenstein Alps
Encyclopedia
The Gutenstein Alps are a mountain range in the Eastern Alps
in Central Europe, and the northeasternmost part of the Northern Limestone Alps
, reaching heights over 1,000 m.
and Triesting
. In the east they descend to the Vienna Basin
. Their boundary with the Rax-Schneeberg Group
to the south is formed by the valley of the Sierningbach between Ternitz
and Puchberg am Schneeberg
, the saddle near the Mamauwiese and the Voisbach and Schwarza
valleys. To the west, from the Seebach stream near St. Aegyd am Neuwalde
, the boundary with the Türnitz Alps
runs along the Unrecht Traisen and the Traisen.
The highest elevations in the Gutenstein Alps are, from west to east:
Near Ebenwald, in the municipality of Kleinzell
, is the northernmost thousander in the Alps: the Sengenebenberg (1,104 m).
The eastern part of the Gutenstein Alps is split by the valley of the River Piesting
. Other important rivers are the Traisen in the west, the Gölsen and the Triesting in the north and the Schwarza south of the mountain range.
s of the Eastern Alpine formation (Decke), in particular, Gutenstein limestone and dolomite
from the lower and middle Triassic
. These relatively coarse-grained rocks almost always indicate a significant layering
(Bankung) and a number of coloured layers. In the southeast and northwest, conglomerate rock from the Cretaceous
period is found.
Numerous caves are found in the limestone rock. Of these, the Unicorn Cave in Dreistetten and the Eisenstein cave in Brunn an der Schneebergbahn are show caves which are accessible to the public.
Gutenstein dolomite is so named after its occurrence in this region. It may be fine and coarse-grained and contain siliceous or argillaceous components. The gray to brown, usually layered sediment was formed in the lagoons of the Triassic and is related to Bunt dolomite. Its highly variable forms are common in the west as far as the Dachstein Mountains
.
, Markt Piesting
) and the Puchberg Basin
, only the valleys on the edge of the Gutenstein Alps and the plains on the eastern edge are densely populated. Important places are Traisen, Hainfeld and Berndorf in the north, Wöllersdorf
, Neunkirchen and Ternitz
in the east, and St. Aegyd am Neuwalde
and Lilienfeld
in the west.
Most of the Gutenstein Alps is heavily wooded and is used for forestry. Spruce
and larch
dominate the higher places. Lower down the mountains, beech
is the dominant species together with pine
in the drier areas. The district of Lilienfeld, which incorporates the northwestern part of the Gutenstein Alps, has the highest percentage of forest of all the districts in Austria.
, Wiener Neustadt
and St. Pölten. In particular, the Hohe Wand
in the east is accessible by a variety of paths, scrambles and climbs, and has numerous mountain inns and huts. Especially popular are the Myra Falls and Steinwaldklamm Gorge (between Pernitz
and Furth
). There are ski slopes in the area of the Muckenkogel near Lilienfeld
and in the south-eastern of the Unterberg.
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...
in Central Europe, and the northeasternmost part of 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...
, reaching heights over 1,000 m.
Topography
Die Gutenstein Alps are separated in the north from the Vienna Woods by the valleys of the GölsenGölsen
The Gölsen is a tributary of the Traisen that is located in the Lower Austrian region of Mostviertel.The river begins in Hainfeld with the merging of the Fliedersbach and the Ramsaubach . It then flows through the communities of Hainfeld, Rohrbach an der Gölsen, and Sankt Veit an der Gölsen, before...
and Triesting
Triesting
The Triesting is a river in the southeastern part of the Vienna Woods. It discharges into the smaller Schwechat at Achau and is part of the catchment area of the River Danube. It has a length of 60 km....
. In the east they descend to the Vienna Basin
Vienna Basin
The Vienna Basin is a sedimentary basin between the Alps and the Carpathian Mountains...
. Their boundary with the Rax-Schneeberg Group
Rax-Schneeberg Group
The Rax-Schneeberg Group is a mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps on the Styrian-Lower Austrian border in Austria.- Location :According to the official classification of the Eastern Alps by the Alpine Club , the Rax-Schneeberg Group is bounded by the following divisions to neighbouring...
to the south is formed by the valley of the Sierningbach between Ternitz
Ternitz
Ternitz is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Situated at the confluence of the Sierning stream and the River Schwarza, at the western end of the Steinfeld plain, it is a fairly large town by population , especially by Austrian standards, yet it covers an...
and Puchberg am Schneeberg
Puchberg am Schneeberg
Puchberg am Schneeberg is a town in the south-eastern part of Lower Austria with approx. 2650 inhabitants. It is situated about 80 Kilometres from Vienna. The highest point of Puchberg is the Schneeberg with 2076 m, the highest mountain of Lower Austria....
, the saddle near the Mamauwiese and the Voisbach and Schwarza
Schwarza (Leitha)
The Schwarza is a river in Lower Austria. It is a headstream of the River Leitha.- Course :It rises on the saddle of Rohrer Sattel, flows through the Höllental gorge and the Schwarza valley. Near Haderswörth in the parish of Lanzenkirchen the Schwarza combines with the Pitten and is then called the...
valleys. To the west, from the Seebach stream near St. Aegyd am Neuwalde
St. Aegyd am Neuwalde
Sankt Aegyd am Neuwalde is a market town in the district of Lilienfeld, Lower Austria.-Geography:St. Aegyd is divided into the districts of Kernhof, Lahnsattel, Mitterbach, St. Aegyd am Neuwalde, and Ulreichsberg. The town is located in the Mostviertel. 87.61 percent of municipal territory is...
, the boundary with the Türnitz Alps
Türnitz Alps
The Türnitz Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps in southern Lower Austria and the adjacent state of Styria. They stretch from the Erlauf valley in the west to the valleys of the Traisen and Unrechttraisen in the east...
runs along the Unrecht Traisen and the Traisen.
The highest elevations in the Gutenstein Alps are, from west to east:
- Kloster-Hinteralpe (1311 m) and the Muckenkogel (1248 m)
- ReisalpeReisalpeThe Reisalpe is the highest mountain in the Gutenstein Alps and lies between Lilienfeld, Hohenberg and Kleinzell in Lower Austria. It is a popular destination, both for hikers in summer and also for ski mountaineering and snowshoe walks in winter, and is classed as relatively safe from...
(1399 m) and Hochstaff (1305 m) - Handlesberg (1370 m) near Schwarzau im GebirgeSchwarzau im GebirgeSchwarzau im Gebirge is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria.- External links :*...
- Jochart (1266 m)
- Unterberg (1342 m)
- Katharinenschlag (1222 m) and Schober (1213 m) on the Dürre WandDürre WandThe Dürre Wand is a mountain ridge in Lower Austria and belongs topographically to the Gutenstein Alps. It runs from Miesenbach in a WSW direction to the Schneeberg....
- Plackles (1132 m) on the Hohe WandHohe WandHohe Wand is a municipality in the district of Wiener Neustadt-Land in Lower Austria, Austria....
Near Ebenwald, in the municipality of Kleinzell
Kleinzell
Kleinzell is a town in the district of Lilienfeld in the Austrian state of Lower Austria....
, is the northernmost thousander in the Alps: the Sengenebenberg (1,104 m).
The eastern part of the Gutenstein Alps is split by the valley of the River Piesting
Piesting
The Piesting is a river in southern Lower Austria. Its sources are the Kalte Gang, the Steinapiesting, and the Längapiesting, which begin south of the Schneeberg....
. Other important rivers are the Traisen in the west, the Gölsen and the Triesting in the north and the Schwarza south of the mountain range.
Geology
Most of the Gutenstein Alps consists of limestoneLimestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s of the Eastern Alpine formation (Decke), in particular, Gutenstein limestone and dolomite
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
from the lower and middle Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
. These relatively coarse-grained rocks almost always indicate a significant layering
Layering
Layering is a means of plant propagation in which a portion of an aerial stem grows roots while still attached to the parent plant and then detaches as an independent plant. Layering has evolved as a common means of vegetative propagation of numerous species in natural environments...
(Bankung) and a number of coloured layers. In the southeast and northwest, conglomerate rock from the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
period is found.
Numerous caves are found in the limestone rock. Of these, the Unicorn Cave in Dreistetten and the Eisenstein cave in Brunn an der Schneebergbahn are show caves which are accessible to the public.
Gutenstein dolomite is so named after its occurrence in this region. It may be fine and coarse-grained and contain siliceous or argillaceous components. The gray to brown, usually layered sediment was formed in the lagoons of the Triassic and is related to Bunt dolomite. Its highly variable forms are common in the west as far as the Dachstein Mountains
Dachstein Mountains
The Dachstein Mountains are a mountain range in the Alps. The term is a collective name used by the Austrian Alpine Club in categorising the Eastern Alps The Dachstein Mountains are a mountain range in the Alps. The term is a collective name used by the Austrian Alpine Club in categorising the...
.
Landscape and settlement
With the exception of the Piesting valley (municipalities of Gutenstein, PernitzPernitz
-History:The name originates from perenica and a brook. The name is of Slavic origin. The Celts arrived before the Slavs.The name was first mentioned in 1165 in the Falkensteiner Codex. In 1679, the plague affected Pernitz and four years later in1683, the Second Turkish Siege happened.In 1828, a...
, Markt Piesting
Markt Piesting
Markt Piesting is a municipality in the district of Wiener Neustadt-Land in Lower Austria, Austria....
) and the Puchberg Basin
Puchberg am Schneeberg
Puchberg am Schneeberg is a town in the south-eastern part of Lower Austria with approx. 2650 inhabitants. It is situated about 80 Kilometres from Vienna. The highest point of Puchberg is the Schneeberg with 2076 m, the highest mountain of Lower Austria....
, only the valleys on the edge of the Gutenstein Alps and the plains on the eastern edge are densely populated. Important places are Traisen, Hainfeld and Berndorf in the north, Wöllersdorf
Wöllersdorf-Steinabrückl
Wöllersdorf-Steinabrückl is a municipality in the district of Wiener Neustadt-Land in Lower Austria, Austria.-References:...
, Neunkirchen and Ternitz
Ternitz
Ternitz is a town in the district of Neunkirchen in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. Situated at the confluence of the Sierning stream and the River Schwarza, at the western end of the Steinfeld plain, it is a fairly large town by population , especially by Austrian standards, yet it covers an...
in the east, and St. Aegyd am Neuwalde
St. Aegyd am Neuwalde
Sankt Aegyd am Neuwalde is a market town in the district of Lilienfeld, Lower Austria.-Geography:St. Aegyd is divided into the districts of Kernhof, Lahnsattel, Mitterbach, St. Aegyd am Neuwalde, and Ulreichsberg. The town is located in the Mostviertel. 87.61 percent of municipal territory is...
and Lilienfeld
Lilienfeld
- Stars of the City :Sons and daughters* [Richard Morosan] , Primeminister of CanadaLilienfeld is a city in Lower Austria , Austria, south of St. Pölten, noted as the site of Lilienfeld Abbey. It is also the site of a regional hospital Landesklinikum Voralpen Lilienfeld....
in the west.
Most of the Gutenstein Alps is heavily wooded and is used for forestry. Spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
and larch
Larch
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...
dominate the higher places. Lower down the mountains, beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
is the dominant species together with pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
in the drier areas. The district of Lilienfeld, which incorporates the northwestern part of the Gutenstein Alps, has the highest percentage of forest of all the districts in Austria.
Tourism
The Gutenstein Alps are an important recreational area for the population of the urban areas of ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
and St. Pölten. In particular, the Hohe Wand
Hohe Wand (mountain)
The Hohe Wand is a mountain ridge in Lower Austria and is part of the Gutenstein Alps.The Hohe Wand lies west of Steinfeld in the Vienna Basin; its highest peak attains a height of 1,132 m.- General :...
in the east is accessible by a variety of paths, scrambles and climbs, and has numerous mountain inns and huts. Especially popular are the Myra Falls and Steinwaldklamm Gorge (between Pernitz
Pernitz
-History:The name originates from perenica and a brook. The name is of Slavic origin. The Celts arrived before the Slavs.The name was first mentioned in 1165 in the Falkensteiner Codex. In 1679, the plague affected Pernitz and four years later in1683, the Second Turkish Siege happened.In 1828, a...
and Furth
Furth an der Triesting
Furth an der Triesting is a town in the district of Baden in Lower Austria in Austria....
). There are ski slopes in the area of the Muckenkogel near Lilienfeld
Lilienfeld
- Stars of the City :Sons and daughters* [Richard Morosan] , Primeminister of CanadaLilienfeld is a city in Lower Austria , Austria, south of St. Pölten, noted as the site of Lilienfeld Abbey. It is also the site of a regional hospital Landesklinikum Voralpen Lilienfeld....
and in the south-eastern of the Unterberg.