![ZusammenflussDrauMur](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/ZusammenflussDrauMur.jpg)
The Mur () or Mura (; ; ;
Prekmurje Slovene
Prekmurje Slovene, also known as the Prekmurje dialect, East Slovene, or Wendish ( sl, prekmurščina, prekmursko narečje, hu, vend nyelv, muravidéki nyelv, Prekmurje dialect: ''prekmürski jezik, prekmürščina, prekmörščina, prekmör ...
: ''Müra''
[Novak, Vilko. 2006. ''Slovar stare knjižne prekmurščine''. Ljubljana: ZRC SAZU, pp. 262, 269.] or ''Möra''
) is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...
in
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
rising in the
Hohe Tauern
The High Tauern (plural, pl.; german: Hohe Tauern, it, Alti Tauri) are a mountain range on the Main chain of the Alps, main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern bor ...
national park of the
Central Eastern Alps
The Central Eastern Alps (german: Zentralalpen or Zentrale Ostalpen), also referred to as Austrian Central Alps (german: Österreichische Zentralalpen) or just Central Alps, comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacent ...
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 states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
with its source being above sea level. It is a tributary of the
and subsequently the
Danube
The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...
.
The Mur's total length is around . About 326 km are within the interior of
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 ...
; 95 km flow in and around
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
(67 km along the borders with Austria and Croatia, 28 km inside Slovenia), and the rest forms the border between
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
and
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. The largest city on the river is
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
, Austria. Its
drainage basin
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...
covers an area of .
Tributaries
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage b ...
of the Mur include the
Mürz
The Mürz () is a river of Styria, Austria, with a length of . Its drainage basin is .
The Mürz begins at the confluence of the and near Kaltenbach, Neuberg and the border to Lower Austria. It passes through Mürzzuschlag. Along its course are ...
, the
Sulm, the
Ščavnica
The Ščavnica (; German: ''Stainz'') is a river in Styria, Slovenia. It sources near Zgornja Velka and flows along the Slovene Hills
The Slovene Hills or the Slovenian Hills ( sl, Slovenske gorice, german: Windische Bühel or ) is the largest h ...
, the
Ledava
The Ledava (German: Limbach, Hungarian: Lendva) is a river of Styria, Austria and of , Prekmurje, northeastern Slovenia.
The Ledava is the largest river of Goričko and the largest tributary of the Mur in Slovenia. It is in length. It originates ...
and the
Trnava
Trnava (, german: Tyrnau; hu, Nagyszombat, also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a ''kraj'' (Trnava Region) and of an '' okres'' (Trna ...
.
Etymology
The river was attested as ''Maura'' in AD 799, ''Muora'' in 890, ''Mura'' in 1259, ''Mvr'' and ''Mver'' in 1310, and ''Muer'' in 1354. The name is probably of Slavic origin, nominalized from the adjective *''murъ'' 'dark', meaning 'dark water'.
River course
The river rises in a remote valley within the
Lungau region of
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 of Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) (also known as ''Salzburgerland'') is a States of Austria, state (''Land'') of the modern Republic of Austria. It is officially named ''Land Salzburg'' to distinguish it from i ...
. The river flows eastwards through
Tamsweg
Tamsweg () is a market town in the Austrian state of Salzburg near the border with Styria. It is the administrative centre of the eponymous Tamsweg District (''Bezirk'') and the largest town of the Salzburg Lungau region.
Geography
Tamsweg is loca ...
before crossing the border into the
state of Styria.
Between Tamsweg and
Unzmarkt-Frauenburg
Unzmarkt-Frauenburg is a municipality in the district of Murtal in Styria, 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 ...
the river flows through a rural mountain valley and is closely paralleled by the long narrow gauge
Murtalbahn
The ''Murtalbahn'' (literally translated, the Mur Valley Railway) is a narrow-gauge railway largely located in the state of Styria in Austria. The line runs along the valley of the River Mur from the market town of Unzmarkt through Murau to T ...
railway. From Unzmarkt the river continues in an easterly direction through the industrial towns of
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 betwee ...
and
Bruck an der Mur
Bruck an der Mur is a city of some 13,500 people located in the district Bruck-Mürzzuschlag, in the Austrian state of Styria. It is located at the confluence of the Mur and Mürz Rivers. Its manufacturing includes metal products and paper. Br ...
. At Bruck an der Mur the
Mürz
The Mürz () is a river of Styria, Austria, with a length of . Its drainage basin is .
The Mürz begins at the confluence of the and near Kaltenbach, Neuberg and the border to Lower Austria. It passes through Mürzzuschlag. Along its course are ...
joins the Mur, which turns sharply south to flow through the city of
Graz
Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
.
The river flows through the centre of Graz, passing underneath the
Schloßberg and by the historic
Inner City
The term ''inner city'' has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Sociologists some ...
. As a result of being the
European Capital of Culture for 2003, an artificial island known as the
Murinsel
The Murinsel ( German, literally ''Mur island'') in Graz, Austria, is an artificial floating "island" in the middle of the Mur river and links the two banks on both sides. At night the blue navigation lights that surround the structure light u ...
was constructed in the middle of the river. Once heavily polluted by several
paper mill
A paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags, and other ingredients. Prior to the invention and adoption of the Fourdrinier machine and other types of paper machine that use an endless belt, ...
s on the shore and by the
ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is an industrial plant where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e. the singular of ''ironworks'' is ''ironworks''.
Ironworks succeeded bloomeri ...
around Leoben, the
water quality
Water quality refers to the chemical, physical, and biological characteristics of water based on the standards of its usage. It is most frequently used by reference to a set of standards against which compliance, generally achieved through tr ...
has improved since the 1980s and the river is now seen as an asset to the city.
From Graz the river continues to flow south, past the town of
Leibnitz
Leibnitz (Slovenian: ''Lipnica'') is a city in the Austrian state of Styria and on 1 Jan. 2017 had a population of 12,176. It is located to the south of the city of Graz, between the Mur and Sulm rivers.
The town is the capital of the Leibni ...
to its nearby confluence with the
Sulm, where it adopts a more easterly course. Near
Spielfeld
Spielfeld ( Slovene: ''Špilje'') is a former municipality in the district of Leibnitz in Austrian state of Styria. Since the 2015 Styria municipal structural reform, it is part of the municipality Straß in Steiermark. It was an Austria-Sloveni ...
, the river forms the border between Austria and
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, a role it retains until just after the twin towns of
Bad Radkersburg and
Gornja Radgona
Gornja Radgona (; german: Oberradkersburg, hu, Felsőregede) is a town in Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Gornja Radgona. Once it was a defensive stronghold for today's regional centre and its twin city, Bad Radkersburg, on the ...
, where it passes fully into Slovenia.
In Slovenia it passes the towns of
Radenci
Radenci (; german: Bad Radein) is a town on the right bank of the Mura River in the Mura Statistical Region of northeastern Slovenia. It is a well-known spa town and was first mentioned in written documents dating back to 1436. After 1833, when a ...
, and
Veržej. The river gives its name to the Slovenian region of
Prekmurje
Prekmurje (; dialectically: ''Prèkmürsko'' or ''Prèkmüre''; hu, Muravidék) is a geographically, linguistically, culturally and ethnically defined region of Slovenia, settled by Slovenes and a Hungarian minority, lying between the Mur Ri ...
(literally 'across the Mur') and the Croatian region of
Međimurje (literally 'between the Mur').
Cable ferries and
ship mill
A ship mill, more commonly known as a boat mill is a type of watermill. The milling and grinding technology and the drive (waterwheel) are built on a floating platform on this type of mill.
"Deutsches Museum: Ship Mill",
The Deutsches Museum' ...
s are still found in this area.
In the upper Međimurje area, in the western part of the region, the Mur floods and changes its course rather often, moving slowly toward the north on its left. Here, the biggest forest along the river, the
Murščak, is located between
Domašinec
Domašinec ( hu, Damása) is a village and municipality in Međimurje County, Croatia. It is located around 14 kilometres east of Čakovec, the seat and largest city of Međimurje County, and close to the Mura River and border with Hungary
...
and
Donji Hrašćan (derived from
Croatian ''hrast'' '
oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
'). After receiving its last significant tributary
Trnava
Trnava (, german: Tyrnau; hu, Nagyszombat, also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a ''kraj'' (Trnava Region) and of an '' okres'' (Trna ...
, the river ends near
Legrad
Legrad () is a municipality in northern Croatia, located north of Koprivnica and east of Ludbreg in the Koprivnica–Križevci County. There are 2,241 inhabitants in the municipality, absolute majority of which are Croats at 97.4%, with the larges ...
in
Koprivnica-Križevci county
Koprivnica-Križevci County ( hr, Koprivničko-križevačka županija ; hu, Kapronca-Kőrös megye) is a county in Northern Croatia. Its hyphenated name comes from two entities: the two of its largest cities, Koprivnica and Križevci; Koprivn ...
,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
, where it flows into the river
.
Exploitation
Since the 4th century BC, there have been reports of
floating mill
A ship mill, more commonly known as a boat mill is a type of watermill. The milling and grinding technology and the drive (waterwheel) are built on a floating platform on this type of mill.
"Deutsches Museum: Ship Mill",
The Deutsches Museum' ...
s powered by the streams of the river. The
ancient
Ancient history is a time period from the History of writing, beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian language, Sumerian c ...
technology was adopted later by arriving
Slavs
Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout northern Eurasia, main ...
and then by
Magyars
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Uralic ...
. Several decades ago, in the 1920s and 1930s, many of these mills were still operating along the river. At least one of the old mills, the Babič Mill ( sl, Babičev mlin) near
Veržej, Slovenia, continues to operate to this day.
The Mur is known to carry small quantities of
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
, not enough to be suitable for exploitation today, but this was a focus of activity for many people since ancient times. Organized
research
Research is "creativity, creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular att ...
and exploitation of gold and other local resources was encouraged for the first time in 1772.
In Austria, several
hydroelectric dam
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
s have been constructed for the production of
electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...
.
In 2017, a hydroelectric dam was under construction in Puntigam, a few km south of the Graz city centre. The plan includes a massive sewage pipe between the city centre and the new dam, necessitating the felling of thousands of trees. The project is controversial and environmental groups are resisting it. Both environmental impact and economic studies have found the project to be neither ecologically nor economically viable. Additional hydroelectric plants are planned for Slovenia.
Monitoring
The hydrological parameters of the Mur are regularly monitored in Croatia at
Mursko Središće
Mursko Središće ( hu, Muraszerdahely, Kajkavian: ''Mursko Središče'') is the northernmost town in Croatia, located at ( alt. 175 m) and one of the oldest localities in Međimurje County.
Mursko Središće has a total population of 6,307, and ...
.
References
External links
*
* Condition of Mur a
Gornja Radgonaan
- graphs, in the following order, of water level, flow and temperature data for the past 30 days (taken by
ARSO The Slovenian Environment Agency (Slovenian: ''Agencija Republike Slovenije za okolje'' or ''ARSO'') is the main organisation for environment of the Republic of Slovenia. It was established in 2001 with a reorganisation of the ''Hydrometeorological ...
)
{{Authority control
Rivers of Salzburg (state)
Rivers of Styria
Rivers of Prekmurje
Rivers of Styria (Slovenia)
Rivers of Hungary
Rivers of Croatia
International rivers of Europe
Croatia–Hungary border
Austria–Slovenia border
Croatia–Slovenia border
Natura 2000 in Slovenia
Rivers of Austria
Border rivers