Inn River
Encyclopedia
The Inn is a river
in Switzerland
, Austria
and Germany
. It is a right tributary
of the Danube
and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin
is the summit of Piz Bernina
, at 4,049 metres.
The source is located in the Swiss Alps
, near St. Moritz
in the Engadin
region, which is named after the river (the river is called "En" in Romansh). It runs north-eastwards, entering Austria, and from Landeck
eastwards through the Austrian state of Tyrol
and its capital, Innsbruck
(bridge over the Inn), and passes the border to Bavaria
near Kufstein
.
On Bavarian territory the river runs northwards and passes the cities of Rosenheim
, Wasserburg am Inn
and Waldkraiburg
; then it turns east, runs through Mühldorf
and Neuötting
and is enlarged by two major tributaries, the Alz
and the Salzach
.
From here to the Danube
, it forms the border between Germany (Bavaria) and Austria (Upper Austria
). Cities on this last section of the river are Simbach, Braunau
and Schärding
.
In the city of Passau
the Inn finally enters the Danube (as does the Ilz
river there). Although the Inn has a greater average flow than the Danube when they converge in Passau, and its watershed contains the Piz Bernina also the highest point in the Danube watershed, the Inn is considered a tributary of the Danube, which has a greater length, drains a larger surface area, and has a more consistent flow.
Among the many small towns on the river are Braunau am Inn
in Austria
, birthplace of Adolf Hitler
; and Marktl am Inn
in Bavaria
, Germany
, birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI. The Inn is also the only river originating in Switzerland which ends up in the Black Sea (via the Danube).
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
in 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....
, 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...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is a right tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
is the summit of Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina
Piz Bernina is the highest mountain of the Eastern Alps and the highest point of the Bernina Range the highest peak in south Rhetic Alps. It is also the farthest easterly mountain higher than 4,000 m in the Alps, the highest point of the Swiss canton of Graubünden, and the fifth-most prominent...
, at 4,049 metres.
Geography
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
, near St. Moritz
St. Moritz
St. Moritz is a resort town in the Engadine valley in Switzerland. It is a municipality in the district of Maloja in the Swiss canton of Graubünden...
in the Engadin
Engadin
The Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
region, which is named after the river (the river is called "En" in Romansh). It runs north-eastwards, entering Austria, and from Landeck
Landeck
Landeck is a city in Tyrol, Austria with approximately 7,633 inhabitants. It is located at an elevation of about 820 m in the west of Tyrol, on the rivers Sanna and Inn...
eastwards through the Austrian state of Tyrol
Tyrol (state)
Tyrol is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. It comprises the Austrian part of the historical region of Tyrol.The state is split into two parts–called North Tyrol and East Tyrol–by a -wide strip of land where the state of Salzburg borders directly on the Italian province of...
and its capital, Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
(bridge over the Inn), and passes the border to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
near Kufstein
Kufstein
Kufstein is a city in Tyrol, Austria, located along the river Inn, in the lower Inn valley, near the border with Bavaria, Germany, and is the site of a post World War II French sector United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration Displaced Persons camp.Kufstein is the second largest city...
.
On Bavarian territory the river runs northwards and passes the cities of Rosenheim
Rosenheim
Rosenheim is a town in Bavaria at the confluence of the rivers Inn and Mangfall. It is seat of administration of the district of Rosenheim, but is not a part of it.-Geography:...
, Wasserburg am Inn
Wasserburg am Inn
Wasserburg am Inn is a town in the district Rosenheim in Upper Bavaria, Germany. The historic centre is a peninsula, formed by the meandering Inn River...
and Waldkraiburg
Waldkraiburg
Waldkraiburg is a town in the district of Mühldorf, in Bavaria, Germany with a population of about 24,000. It is the biggest town in the district of Mühldorf. It is located on the Inn River, approximately ten kilometers southwest of Mühldorf and sixty kilometers east of Munich.Waldkraiburg is one...
; then it turns east, runs through Mühldorf
Mühldorf
Mühldorf am Inn is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.-History:...
and Neuötting
Neuötting
Neuötting is a town in the district of Altötting, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Inn, 2 km north of Altötting, about 70 km north of Salzburg, 80 southwest of Passau and almost 100 km east of Munich. It is a stop on the railway line between Munich and Simbach.-Townscape:Neuötting...
and is enlarged by two major tributaries, the Alz
Alz
The Alz is a river in Bavaria, southern Germany, the only discharge of the Chiemsee. Its origin is on the northern shore near Seebruck. It is a right tributary of the Inn, into which it flows in Marktl...
and the 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...
.
From here to the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, it forms the border between Germany (Bavaria) and Austria (Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
). Cities on this last section of the river are Simbach, Braunau
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
and Schärding
Schärding
Schärding is a town in northern Upper Austria, Austria, capital of the district of the same name, and a major port on the Inn River. As of 2001, it has a population of 5,052. Historically it was owned by the Wittelsbach family, which reflects on the town's architecture...
.
In the city of Passau
Passau
Passau is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers," because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north....
the Inn finally enters the Danube (as does the Ilz
Ilz
The Ilz is a river running through the Bavarian Forest, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Danube and 65 km in length, during which it travels down a height difference of ~780m....
river there). Although the Inn has a greater average flow than the Danube when they converge in Passau, and its watershed contains the Piz Bernina also the highest point in the Danube watershed, the Inn is considered a tributary of the Danube, which has a greater length, drains a larger surface area, and has a more consistent flow.
Among the many small towns on the river are Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
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...
, birthplace of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
; and Marktl am Inn
Marktl am Inn
Marktl, or often unofficially called Marktl am Inn , is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, in the Altötting district of Upper Bavaria. The most notable neighbouring town is Altötting...
in Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, birthplace of Pope Benedict XVI. The Inn is also the only river originating in Switzerland which ends up in the Black Sea (via the Danube).
Tributaries
- Right tributaries (in downstream order): Flaz, Spöl, Clemgia, Faggenbach, Pitzbach, Ötztaler AcheÖtztaler AcheThe Ötztaler Ache is a right tributary of the Inn River in the Imst and flows through the Ötztal valley with a length of appr. 35 km. It merges with the Inn River 8 km east of Imst. The river is one of the biggest tributaries with plenty of water...
, MelachMelachThe Melach River is a right tributary of the Inn River and has a length of 25 km. It is located in the western district of Innsbruck-Land. The water has A/B grade quality. The river passes through the village Gries im Sellrain....
, Sill, ZillerZillerThe Ziller is an approximately 47 km long right-side tributary to the Inn River, in the Zillertal in Tyrol, Austria. It springs from the ridge of the Zillertal Alps, and feeds the Zillergründl Dam. In Mayrhofen it receives the Zemmbach...
, AlpbachAlpbachtalThe Alpbachtal is a valley in Tyrol, Austria. It is a side valley of the Inn valley.The Alpbachtal takes its name from the Alpbach stream, which flows through the entire valley. The entrance to the valley is the municipality of Brixlegg. A road from Brixlegg runs through the valley to the parish of...
, Wildschönauer Ache, Brixentaler AcheBrixentaler AcheThe Brixentaler Ache is a right tributary of the River Inn in Austria. It is located in the state of Tyrol and passes through the districts of Kitzbühel and Kufstein...
, WeißacheWeißacheThe Weißache is a river in the Söllandl, a valley between the Kaisergebirge mountains and the Hohe Salve. It rises at about on the Zinsbergund in the Weißachergraben and discharges near Kufstein/Endach into the River Inn....
, KaiserbachKaiserbachThe Kaiserbach or Sparchenbach is a stream in the Kaisertal in the Kaisergebirge mountains in the Tyrolean Unterland of Austria. It rises at about near the Stripsenjoch saddle and empties near Kufstein/Sparchen into the River Inn....
, Rohrdorfer Ache, SimsSims (river)Sims is a river of Bavaria, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Bavaria...
, Murn, AlzAlzThe Alz is a river in Bavaria, southern Germany, the only discharge of the Chiemsee. Its origin is on the northern shore near Seebruck. It is a right tributary of the Inn, into which it flows in Marktl...
, SalzachSalzachThe 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...
, Enknach, Mattig, Ach, AntiesenAntiesenAntiesen is a river of Upper Austria. It flows for 42 km.-External links:*...
, Pram
- Left tributaries (in downstream order): Beverin, Schergenbach, SannaSanna (Inn)Sanna is a river in Austria formed near Tobadill by the confluence of the rivers Rosanna and Trisanna ....
, Gurglbach, Brandenberger AcheBrandenberger AcheThe Brandenberger Ache River is a 22 km long left tributary of the Inn River in the district Kufstein and flows from North to South to the town of Rattenberg where it merges with the Inn River....
, KieferbachKieferbachKieferbach is a river of Bavaria, Germany....
, Auerbach, Kirchbach, MangfallMangfallThe Mangfall is a left tributary of the River Inn in Upper Bavaria and 58 km long. The Mangfall is the tailstream of the Tegernsee lake and discharges near Rosenheim into the Inn....
, AttelAttelAttel is a river of Bavaria, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Bavaria...
, IsenIsen (river)The Isen is a small river in southeast Upper Bavaria with a length of about 76 kilometres. The Isen rises near Lacken and flows through one of the most unspoiled regions of Old Bavaria : the Isen Valley.First seeing the light of day in the district of Mühldorf, the waters of the Isen flow...
, Rott