Salzach#

Salzach, River, province of Salzburg, south-western tributary of the River Inn and main river of the province of Salzburg, 220 km long; rises near Westlicher Salzachgeier mountain (alt. 2,469 m) bordering on Tirol; average rate of flow at Oberndorf bei Salzburg 242 m3/sec. Good water quality (grades 1 and 2) downstream of the city of Salzburg and at its confluence with the River Inn. The Upper Salzach Valley divides the Kitzbuehel Alps in the north from the Hohe Tauern Range in the south; in the southern part of the Pinzgau Region is the Hohe Tauern National Park. The region from Lend (alt. 663 m) up to the Lueg Pass (alt. 552 m) is called the Pongau Region; here the River Salzach turns to the north (at St. Veit im Pongau, (alt. 764 m). Between Werfen (alt. 548 m) and Golling an der Salzach (alt. 483 m) the River Salzach flows through the Salzburg Limestone Alps in the Salzach-Oefen gorge and separates the Hagengebirge Mountains west of the river from the Tennengebirge Mountains in the east (national parks). Bordering on the Pongau Region the Tennengau Region, where the valley of the River Salzach widens again, extends from Lueg Pass to the Salzburg Basin. Shortly before reaching the city of Salzburg (alt. 425 m) and after the confluence with its tributary the Saalach the River Salzach forms the border between Bavaria and the province of Salzburg (and Upper Austria) and flows into the River Inn at Ueberackern (alt. 356 m). The most important tributaries of the River Salzach are in the Pinzgau Region (Hohe Tauern Range): Krimmler Ache river, Habach stream, Hollersbach stream, Felber Bach stream, Stubache river, Kapruner Ache river, Fuscher Ache river, Rauriser Ache river and Gasteiner Ache river. Smaller tributaries from the north are the Mallnitz stream and the discharge of the Lake Zeller See which flows into the River Salzach at Bruck an der Grossglocknerstrasse. In the Pongau Region and in the Tennengau Region the Grossarlbach stream (from the south), Wagrainer Bach stream, Fritzbach stream, river Lammer and Almbach stream (from the east) and Muehlbach stream and Torrener Bach stream (from the west), etc. empty into the Salzach. The Salzach Valley north of Bischofshofen (alt. 549 m) has been populated since the Roman Era and has always been an important traffic crossroads. Important towns and villages in the Salzach Valley: Neukirchen am Grossvenediger (alt. 941 m), Mittersill (alt. 790 m), Schwarzach, St. Johann im Pongau (alt. 615 m), Bischofshofen (alt. 544 m), Kuchl (alt. 468 m) and Hallein (alt. 447 m).

Literature#