Salzach
Encyclopedia
The Salzach is a river in Austria
and Germany
. It is a right tributary
of the Inn
and is 225 kilometres (140 mi) 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. The shipping ended when railways replaced the old transport system.
It is the main river of the Austrian state
of Salzburg
. The source is located in the Kitzbühel Alps near Krimml, Western Salzburg
. Its headstreams drain several alpine pastures at around 2,300 m above see level between Krimml and the Tyrolean state border, 3-5 km north of the Gerlos Pass
on the slopes of the Salzachgeier
and the Schwebenkopf (2,354 m).
From here it runs eastwards until Schwarzach im Pongau
, then turns northwards and passes the cities of Hallein
and Salzburg
. Then it forms the border between Bavaria
, Germany
and Austria for almost 70 kilometres (43 mi). Cities on the banks in this last section include Laufen, Tittmoning
and Burghausen
. All these towns have border crossings. The river finally joins the Inn near Braunau
.
, Rauriser Ache from the High Tauern, Dientener Bach from the Slate Alps, Gasteiner Ache, Großarlbach, Kleinarlbach from the High Tauern, Fritzbach from the Dachstein Massif, Mühlbach and Blühnbach from the Hochkönig.
Lower reaches: Lammer from the east, Torrener Bach (Bluntautal) from the Berchtesgaden Alps, Tauglbach and Almbach
from the Hintersee, both from the Osterhorn Group, Königsseeache from the Königssee
, Kehlbach, Fischach from the Wallersee, Klausbach, Saalach
the largest tributaries, Sur
and Götzinger Achen
on the Bavarian side, Oichten near Oberndorf
and Moosach in the Salzburg-Upper Austrian border region.
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 Inn
Inn River
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.- Geography :...
and is 225 kilometres (140 mi) 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. The shipping ended when railways replaced the old transport system.
It is the main river of the Austrian state
States of Austria
Austria is a federal republic made up of nine states, known in German as Länder . Since Land is also the German word for a country, the term Bundesländer is often used instead to avoid ambiguity. The Constitution of Austria uses both terms...
of Salzburg
Salzburg (state)
Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
. The source is located in the Kitzbühel Alps near Krimml, Western Salzburg
Salzburg (state)
Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
. Its headstreams drain several alpine pastures at around 2,300 m above see level between Krimml and the Tyrolean state border, 3-5 km north of the Gerlos Pass
Gerlos Pass
Gerlos Pass is a high mountain pass in the Austrian Alps between the Bundesländer of Salzburg and Tyrol.It connects the Oberpinzgau in the state of Salzburg with the Ziller River valley in Tyrol. The old road leads from Wald im Pinzgau to Gerlos in the Ziller valley. It is closed to trucking and...
on the slopes of the Salzachgeier
Salzachgeier
The Salzachgeier is a rugged peak on the edge of the Kitzbühel Alps on the border of the Austrian states of Salzburg and Tyrol. In the cirques and high alpine meadows of its eastern slopes and the two neighbouring peaks of Fünfmandling and Schwebenkopf are the headstreams of the Salzach, the...
and the Schwebenkopf (2,354 m).
From here it runs eastwards until Schwarzach im Pongau
Schwarzach im Pongau
Schwarzach im Pongau is a market town in the St. Johann im Pongau district in the state of Salzburg in Austria.-Notable people:* Helmut Zobl ,* Kurt Leitner , retired footballer* Eva Linsinger , journalist...
, then turns northwards and passes the cities of Hallein
Hallein
Hallein is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, the capital of the Hallein district. It is located in the Tennengau region south of the City of Salzburg, along the Salzach river in the shadow of the Untersberg massif, near the border with Germany. With a population of c...
and Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
. Then it forms the border between 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...
and Austria for almost 70 kilometres (43 mi). Cities on the banks in this last section include Laufen, Tittmoning
Tittmoning
Tittmoning is a town in the district of Traunstein, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the border with Austria, on the left bank of the river Salzach, 38 km northwest of Salzburg. Population 6,151 . Postal code 84529....
and Burghausen
Burghausen, Altötting
Burghausen is the largest city in the Altötting district of Oberbayern in Germany. It is situated on the Salzach river, near the border with Austria. Its castle, atop a ridge, is the longest castle in Europe .- History :...
. All these towns have border crossings. The river finally joins the Inn near 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...
.
Tributaries
Upper and lower reaches: Putzengraben, Trattenbach and Dürnbach from the Kitzbühel Alps, Krimmler Ache, Obersulzbach, Untersulzbach, Habach, Hollersbach, Felberbach, Stubache, Kapruner Ache from the High Tauern, Pinzga from Lake Zell, Fuscher AcheFuscher Ache
The Fuscher Ache is a right tributary of the River Salzach and rises near the Fuscher Törl at a height of about 2,500 metres above sea level in the Lower Pinzgau. It flows from south to north through the valley of the same name, passing the small village of Fusch an der Großglocknerstraße. It...
, Rauriser Ache from the High Tauern, Dientener Bach from the Slate Alps, Gasteiner Ache, Großarlbach, Kleinarlbach from the High Tauern, Fritzbach from the Dachstein Massif, Mühlbach and Blühnbach from the Hochkönig.
Lower reaches: Lammer from the east, Torrener Bach (Bluntautal) from the Berchtesgaden Alps, Tauglbach and Almbach
Almbach (Salzach)
The Almbach creek is the natural drain of the Hintersee Lake in Salzburg . It reaches a length of approx. 17 km and flows into the Salzach at Hallein. In the middle course the creek is dammed by the Wiestalstausee; a rest water quantity remains to not endanger the fish population....
from the Hintersee, both from the Osterhorn Group, Königsseeache from the Königssee
Königssee
The Königssee is a lake located in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the border with Austria...
, Kehlbach, Fischach from the Wallersee, Klausbach, Saalach
Saalach
The Saalach is a long river in Austria and Germany, and a left tributary of the Salzach.- Course :The river begins, as the Saalbach stream, in the Austrian state of Tyrol in the Kitzbühel Alps at the Torsee lake below the 2,178 m high Gamshag...
the largest tributaries, Sur
Sur (river)
Sur is a river of Bavaria, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Bavaria...
and Götzinger Achen
Götzinger Achen
Götzinger Achen is a river of Bavaria, Germany....
on the Bavarian side, Oichten near Oberndorf
Oberndorf bei Salzburg
Oberndorf bei Salzburg is a town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, about 17 km north of the City of Salzburg. It is situated on the river Salzach in the Flachgau district.-Overview:Its twin sister-town across the Salzach Bridge is Laufen in Bavaria...
and Moosach in the Salzburg-Upper Austrian border region.
Sources
- Österreichisches Bundesministerium für Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Umwelt und Wasserwirtschaft: Die Salzach - ein Fluss bewegt! (PDF, 7,94 MB)
- Norbert Winding und Dieter Vogel (Hrsg.): Die Salzach. Wildfluss in der Kulturlandschaft. Verlag Kiebitz Buch, Vilsbiburg 2003, ISBN 3-9807800-1-5