, photo=HochtorOedsteinGroup FromS HoherZinken.jpg
, photo_caption=Hochtor - Ödstein Group (Gesäuse) (from right to left) as seen from Hoher Zinken in the south
, country=
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, subdivision1_type=States
, subdivision1=
, parent=
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps (german: Nördliche Kalkalpen), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germa ...
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Hochtor
Hochtor, at , is the highest mountain in the Ennstaler Alps, part of the Northern Limestone Alps, in Styria, Austria.
The mountain is protected as part of Gesäuse National Park, the third largest in Austria.
Gallery
image:Hochtor.JPG, Hochto ...
, elevation_m=2369
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, map_image=Alps location map (Ennstaler Alpen, AVE).png
, map_caption=Ennstal Alps (in red) within the Alps.
The borders of the range according to
Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps
The Ennstal Alps (
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
''Ennstaler Alpen''), the
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
of the
Enns valley, are a mountain range of the
Northern Limestone Alps
The Northern Limestone Alps (german: Nördliche Kalkalpen), also called the Northern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located in Austria and the adjacent Bavarian lands of southeastern Germa ...
System. They are located primarily in the
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
n
state
State may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Literature
* ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State
* ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States
* ''Our S ...
of
Styria, and also into the state of
Upper Austria
Upper Austria (german: Oberösterreich ; bar, Obaöstareich) is one of the nine states or of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, an ...
.
The most famous scenery in the Ennstal Alps is the
Gesäuse, a valley where the
Enns river cuts through the
limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
.
Geography
The Ennstal Alps range is defined by:
* the lineup of
Liezen
Liezen (Central Bavarian: ''Liezn'') is a municipality in the Austrian federal state of Styria, district capital of the district of the same name and economic center on the River Enns.
Population
Politics
Since 1995, the left-wing SPÖ party ...
,
Pyhrn Pass
Pyhrn Pass is a mountain pass in the Austrian Alps between the Austrian states of Upper Austria and Styria.
It connects Warscheneck and Bosruck and is at an elevation of . The pass road (B 138) has a maximum grade of 10 percent.
Since the mi ...
, and
Windischgarsten
Windischgarsten is a municipality in the district of Kirchdorf an der Krems in the Austrian state of Upper Austria. Since 1964, the town has been classified as a Luftkurort, a mountain spa town.
Geography
Windischgarsten lies in the Traunvier ...
on the west.
* Hengst Pass and the Laussabach on the north.
* the lineup of the
River Enns (from
Altenmarkt bei Sankt Gallen
Altenmarkt bei Sankt Gallen is a municipality in the district of Liezen in the Austrian state of Styria
Styria (german: Steiermark ; Serbo-Croatian and sl, ; hu, Stájerország) is a state (''Bundesland'') in the southeast of Austria. ...
to
Hieflau
Hieflau is a former municipality in the district of Leoben in Styria, Austria. Since the 2015 Styria municipal structural reform, it is part of the municipality Landl, in the Liezen District
Bezirk Liezen is a district of the state of Styria in ...
),
Erzbach, and Vordernbergerbach on the east
* the lineup of the
Mur river
The Mur () or Mura (; ; ; Prekmurje Slovene: ''Müra''Novak, Vilko. 2006. ''Slovar stare knjižne prekmurščine''. Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU, pp. 262, 269. or ''Möra'') is a river in Central Europe rising in the Hohe Tauern national park of th ...
(from
Leoben
Leoben () is a Styrian city in central Austria, located on the Mur river. With a population of about 25,000 it is a local industrial centre and hosts the University of Leoben, which specialises in mining. The Peace of Leoben, an armistice bet ...
to
Sankt Michael in Obersteiermark), Liesing, and Palten on the south
Peaks + mountain groups
Mountain groups that are part of the Ennstal Alps include:
*
Haller Mauern
The Haller Mauern is a small mountain chain, part of the larger Northern Limestone Alps.
The western buttress of the main ridge is formed by the 2,244 m high Großer Pyhrgas. This mountain is also the highest peak in the Haller Mauern. ...
(highest summit:
Großer Pyhrgas, 2,244 m)
* Gesäuse Mountains, including the Buchstein Group (2,224 m), Reichenstein Group (2.251 m) and Hochtor Group (
Hochtor
Hochtor, at , is the highest mountain in the Ennstaler Alps, part of the Northern Limestone Alps, in Styria, Austria.
The mountain is protected as part of Gesäuse National Park, the third largest in Austria.
Gallery
image:Hochtor.JPG, Hochto ...
, 2,369 m) and the Lugauer (2,217 m).
*
Eisenerzer Reichenstein 2,165 m (Eisenerz Alps), with the preceding massifs of Reiting (including the Gößeck its main summit, 2,214 m) (in the south) and the Kaiserschild (2,105 m) in the north.
Gesäuse − Enns river valley
The Ennstal Alps range is pierced in the north by the
Enns river
The Enns (, ) is a southern tributary of the river Danube, joining northward at Enns, Austria. The Enns spans , in a flat-J-shape. It flows from its source near the village Flachau, generally eastward through Radstadt, Schladming, and Liezen, ...
. The Enns
river valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ...
name in German is ''Gesäuse''. The valley is accompanied by the only roads and railway lines that run through the Ennstal Alps.
Adjacent mountain ranges
Other
Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Swi ...
mountain ranges that border on the Ennstal Alps include:
*
Upper Austrian Prealps
The Upper Austrian Prealps (german: Oberösterreichische Voralpen) is a mountain range in Austria which, according to the Categorisation of the Eastern Alps, covers the region between the valley of the Traun (Gmunden) in the west and the Enns va ...
(to the north)
*
Ybbstal Alps (to the northeast)
* Hochschwab (to the east)
*
Lavanttal Alps
The Lavanttal Alps (german: Lavanttaler Alpen, sl, Labotniške Alpe) are part of the Central Eastern Alps in Austria and Slovenia, between the river Mur in the north and the Drava in the south.
The mountains are named after the central valley o ...
(to the southeast)
* Seckauer Tauern (to the south)
*
Rottenmanner and Wölzer Tauern (to the southwest)
*
Totes Gebirge
The Totes Gebirge is a group of mountains in Austria, part of the Northern Limestone Alps, lying between the Salzkammergut and the Ennstaler Alpen. The name ''Totes Gebirge'' is derived from the German words ''tot'' meaning "dead", referring to ...
(to the west)
Settlements
Settlement within the range is restricted to the ''
Gesäuse'' and several mountain valleys.
*The main villages within the ''Gesäuse'' are
Admont
Admont is a town in the Austrian state of Styria. It is historically most notable for Admont Abbey, a monastery founded in 1074.
Gesäuse National Park, in which Admont lies, is an area of outstanding beauty. The town is situated in the middle of ...
,
Hieflau
Hieflau is a former municipality in the district of Leoben in Styria, Austria. Since the 2015 Styria municipal structural reform, it is part of the municipality Landl, in the Liezen District
Bezirk Liezen is a district of the state of Styria in ...
, and Großreifling.
*Settlements in the mountain valleys include:
Radmer
Radmer is a municipality in the district of Leoben in Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine ...
,
Johnsbach, and
St. Gallen
, neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach
, twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic)
, website = ...
.
Towns in valleys around the perimeter of the range include:
Leoben
Leoben () is a Styrian city in central Austria, located on the Mur river. With a population of about 25,000 it is a local industrial centre and hosts the University of Leoben, which specialises in mining. The Peace of Leoben, an armistice bet ...
,
Liezen
Liezen (Central Bavarian: ''Liezn'') is a municipality in the Austrian federal state of Styria, district capital of the district of the same name and economic center on the River Enns.
Population
Politics
Since 1995, the left-wing SPÖ party ...
, and
Eisenerz
Eisenerz (; "Iron ore") is a market place and old mining town in the Austrian state of Styria, . N.W. of Graz by rail. Pop. (2001) 6,400. It is situated in the deep Erzbach Valley, dominated on the east by the Pfaffenstein , on the west by t ...
.
See also
*
Limestone Alps
The Limestone Alps (german: Kalkalpen) are a mountain ranges system of the Alps in Central Europe.
They are of economic importance, including as a watershed source of drinking water. They have many accessible dripstone and ice caves.
Geography
T ...
*
References
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of the Alps
Northern Limestone Alps
Mountain ranges of Styria
Mountain ranges of Upper Austria
Greywacke zone