Pongau#

Pongau Region, area in the Province of Salzburg, encloses the middle of the Salzachtal Valley, the uppermost Ennstal Valley and the Tauerntal Valleys of the Gastein Ache river and the Grossarl Ache river (with the Liechtensteinklamm Gorge). Diversified tourist region; in the Gastein Valley, traditional spas with thermal springs, such as Bad Gastein and Bad Hofgastein, in the Salzachtal Valley old castles and market towns. Beyond the River Salzach, the "Pongau sun terrace" region, with an especially mild climate; at the foot of the Radstaedter Tauern Mountains, the resorts of the "Salzburger Sportwelt Amade" region, the Grossarl Valley, the hiking and mountaineering regions of the Hochkoenig and Tennengebirge Mountains.

In the settlements of the wide Salzach Valley, Paarhof and Haufenhof farmhouse types prevail between the narrow passage near Lend and the Lueg Pass. The Pongau region is coterminous with the political district of Sankt Johann im Pongau (1755 km2, pop. 71.955), the main towns and municipalities are Sankt Johann im Pongau, Bischofshofen, Radstadt, Schwarzach im Pongau, Badgastein, Bad Hofgastein, Werfen. First Settlements documented in the Bronze Age, especially around the copper ore mining region of Mitterberg Valley.

Literature#