The Salzach (Austrian:
ˆsaltsax ) is a river 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 ...
and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is in length and is a right
tributary
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 drai ...
of the
Inn
Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway; before the advent of motorized transportation they also provided accommo ...
, which eventually joins 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 , p ...
. 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 ...
of comprises large parts of the
Northern Limestone and
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 adjacen ...
. 83% of its drainage basin () lies in Austria, the remainder in Germany (
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
).
Its largest tributaries are
Lammer
The Lammer is a river of Salzburg, Austria, a right tributary of the Salzach.
The Lammer rises in the Tennen Mountains and flows from east to west, joining with the Salzach at Golling an der Salzach
Golling an der Salzach is a market town in th ...
,
Berchtesgadener Ache
Berchtesgadener Ache is a river of Bavaria, Germany and of Salzburg, Austria. It is formed at the confluence of the Ramsauer Ache and the Königsseer Ache in Berchtesgaden. It flows into the Salzach near Anif.
See also
*List of rivers of Bavaria ...
,
Saalach,
Sur and
Götzinger Achen
Götzinger Achen is a river of Bavaria, Germany. It flows out of the Waginger See and discharges into the Salzach near Tittmoning.
See also
*List of rivers of Bavaria
A list of rivers of Bavaria, Germany:
A
* Aalbach
* Abens
* Ach
* Afferbach ...
.
Etymology
The river's name is derived from the
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 ...
word ''
Salz
Salz is a German word meaning ''salt'' and may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Places
* Salzburg, a city in Austria
* Salzburg (state), Austria
* Salz, Rhineland-Palatinate, municipality in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
* Salz, Bavaria, town in the district o ...
'' "
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
" and ''
Aach''. Until the 19th century, shipping of salt down the ''Salzach'' was an important part of the local economy. The shipping ended when the parallel
Salzburg-Tyrol Railway
{{Infobox rail line
, box_width = auto
, name = Salzburg-Tyrol Railway
, native_name = Salzburg-Tiroler-Bahn
, native_name_lang = de
, image ...
line replaced the old transport system.
Course
The Salzach is the main river in the
Austrian state of
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
. The source is located on the edge of the
Kitzbühel Alps
The Kitzbühel Alps (german: Kitzbüheler Alpen or ''Kitzbühler Alpen'') are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps surrounding the town of Kitzbühel in Tyrol, Austria. Geologically they are part of the western slate zone (greywacke zone) ...
near
Krimml
Krimml is a municipality in Zell am See District, in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria, in the Pinzgau region.
Geography
Krimml is situated on the Salzach river, at the southwestern rim of the upper (western) ''Pinzgau'' region near the bo ...
in the western
Pinzgau
The Bezirk Zell am See is an administrative district (''Bezirk'') in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria, and congruent with the Pinzgau region ().
The area of the district is , with a population of 84,124 (May 15, 2001), and population dens ...
region. Its headstreams drain several alpine pastures at around (
metres above the Adriatic
Metres above the Adriatic ( it, Metri sopra l'Adriatico, german: Meter über Adria, Serbo-Croatian: ''Metara iznad Jadrana'') is the vertical datum used in Austria, in the former Yugoslavian states of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Serbia, ...
), between Krimml and the Tyrolean state border, north of the
Gerlos Pass
Gerlos Pass (elevation 1,500 m, 4,921 ft) is a mountain pass in the Austrian Alps between the Oberpinzgau region in the state of Salzburg and the Zillertal valley in Tyrol. The old road leads from Wald im Pinzgau to Gerlos in the Zillertal va ...
on the slopes of the
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 (''Hochalmen'') of its eastern slopes and the two neighbouring peaks of ''F ...
() and the nearby Schwebenkopf peak ).
From here, it runs eastwards through a large valley via
Bruck south of
Lake Zell
Lake Zell (german: Zeller See; it, Lago di Zell) is a small freshwater lake in the Austrian Alps. It takes its name from the city of Zell am See, which is located on a small delta protruding into the lake. The lake is long and wide. It is up ...
to
Schwarzach im Pongau
Schwarzach im Pongau is a market town in the St. Johann im Pongau District in the Austrian state of Salzburg.
Geography
It is located in the valley of the Salzach river, between the Hohe Tauern mountain range (Goldberg and Ankogel groups) in the ...
. It then turns northwards and passes
Sankt Johann im Pongau
St. Johann im Pongau (''Saiga HÃ¥ns'' or ''Sainig HÃ¥ns'' in the local Pongau dialect, abbreviated St.Johann/Pg.) is a small city in the state of Salzburg in Austria. It is the administrative centre of the St. Johann im Pongau District.
Geograph ...
. North of here, the Salzach forms the narrow
Salzachöfen Gorge
Salzachöfen, sometimes translated as Salzachöfen Gorge, is a narrow gorge in the Northern Limestone Alps of Salzburg State, Austria. The gap is formed by the Salzach river as it cuts between the Hagen Mountains and Tennen Mountains. Lueg Pass ...
between the
Berchtesgaden Alps and the
Tennen Mountains and then flows to
Hallein
Hallein () is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg. It is the capital of Hallein district.
Geography
The town is located in the ''Tennengau'' region south of the City of Salzburg, stretching along the Salzach river in the shadow of ...
and the city of
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian) is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the ...
.
From the junction with its
Saalach tributary in the northern Salzburg basin, the Salzach forms the border between
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and the Austrian states of Salzburg and
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 ...
for almost . Cities on the banks in this lower section include
Laufen and its sister town
Oberndorf bei Salzburg,
Tittmoning
Tittmoning () is a town in the district of Traunstein, in Bavaria, Germany.
Geography
It is situated in the historic Rupertiwinkel region, on the left bank of the river Salzach, which forms the border with the municipality of Ostermiething in th ...
, and
Burghausen. All these towns have border crossings.
The river finally joins the Inn in
Haiming between Burghausen and
Braunau.
Tributaries
Upper and lower reaches: , and from the
Kitzbühel Alps
The Kitzbühel Alps (german: Kitzbüheler Alpen or ''Kitzbühler Alpen'') are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps surrounding the town of Kitzbühel in Tyrol, Austria. Geologically they are part of the western slate zone (greywacke zone) ...
,
Krimmler Ache
The Krimmler Ache is a river in the Pinzgau region of the Austrian state of Salzburg, a right tributary of the Salzach at , Wald im Pinzgau.
Its valley (the ) forms the boundary between the Zillertal Alps in the west and the Venediger Group in t ...
, , , , , , , from the
High Tauern
The High Tauern ( pl.; german: Hohe Tauern, it, Alti Tauri) are a mountain range on the main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern border of the Austrian states of ...
, Pinzga from
Lake Zell
Lake Zell (german: Zeller See; it, Lago di Zell) is a small freshwater lake in the Austrian Alps. It takes its name from the city of Zell am See, which is located on a small delta protruding into the lake. The lake is long and wide. It is up ...
,
Fuscher Ache, from the High Tauern, from the
Salzburg Slate Alps
The Salzburg Slate Alps (german: Salzburger Schieferalpen) are a mountain range of the Eastern Alps, in the Austrian state of Salzburg. Situated within the greywacke zone, they could be regarded either as part of the Northern Limestone Alps or of ...
, , , from the High Tauern, from the , and from the
Hochkönig
The Hochkönig is a mountain group containing the highest mountain (Mount Hochkönig) in the Berchtesgaden Alps, Salzburgerland, Austria. The Berchtesgaden Alps form part of the Northern Limestone Alps.
Location
It lies to the west of the town ...
.
Lower reaches:
Lammer
The Lammer is a river of Salzburg, Austria, a right tributary of the Salzach.
The Lammer rises in the Tennen Mountains and flows from east to west, joining with the Salzach at Golling an der Salzach
Golling an der Salzach is a market town in th ...
from the east, (in the ) from the
Berchtesgaden Alps, and
Almbach from the , both from the
Osterhorn Group
The Salzkammergut Mountains (german: Salzkammergut-Berge) are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, located in the Austrian states of Salzburg and Upper Austria. They are named after the Salzkammergut historic region, part of the Hallsta ...
,
Königsseer Ache
Königsseer Ache is a river of Bavaria, Germany. At its confluence with the Ramsauer Ache in Berchtesgaden, the Berchtesgadener Ache is formed. It passes through the lake Königssee.
See also
*List of rivers of Bavaria
A list of rivers of Bav ...
from the
Königssee
The Königssee is a natural lake in the extreme southeast Berchtesgadener Land district of the German state of Bavaria, near the Austrian border. Most of the lake is within the Berchtesgaden National Park.
Description
Situated within the Berch ...
, ,
Fischach
Fischach is a municipality in the district of Augsburg in Bavaria in Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and ...
from the lake
Wallersee,
Klausbach,
Saalach the largest tributaries,
Sur and
Götzinger Achen
Götzinger Achen is a river of Bavaria, Germany. It flows out of the Waginger See and discharges into the Salzach near Tittmoning.
See also
*List of rivers of Bavaria
A list of rivers of Bavaria, Germany:
A
* Aalbach
* Abens
* Ach
* Afferbach ...
on the Bavarian side, Oichten near
Oberndorf and
Moosach
Moosach is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the Upper Bavarian district of Ebersberg (district), Ebersberg and a member of the ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' (administrative community) of Glonn.
Geography
The community lies in a pictur ...
in the Salzburg-Upper Austrian border region.
Hydroelectric power plants
Currently, there are 12
hydroelectric power plants on the Salzach. The power plants are listed beginning at the headwaters:
Photos
Image:to WIKI panorama Salzburg Salzach river Oct2005.jpg, Salzach in Salzburg
Image:Salzburg 15.jpg, Salzach in Salzburg
Image:Tussen Hallein en Salzburg, berglandschap langs de Salzach foto1 2011-0717 11.35.JPG, Salzach between Hallein and Salzburg
Image:Tussen Tenneck en Pass Lueg, panorama mer de Salzach foto2 2011-07-17 14.29.JPG, Salzach between Tenneck and Pass Lueg
Image:Pfarrwerfen, dorpszicht positie3 foto3 2011-07-17 15.52.JPG, Salzach near Pfarrwerfen
Image:Most Staatsbrücke, Salzburg - jugozapad.jpg, "Staatsbrücke" bridge over Salzach in Salzburg
See also
*
Salza (Austria)
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,
References
{{Authority control
Austria–Germany border
International rivers of Europe
Rivers of Upper Austria
Rivers of Bavaria
Altötting (district)
Traunstein (district)
Berchtesgadener Land
Rivers of Salzburg (state)
Rivers of Austria
Rivers of Germany
Border rivers