The Zillertal Alps ( it, Alpi Aurine; german: Zillertaler Alpen) are a mountain range 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 adjacen ...
on the border 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 ...
and
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
Name
The range is named after the
Zillertal
The Ziller Valley (german: Zillertal) is a valley in Tyrol, Austria that is drained by the Ziller River. It is the widest valley south of the Inn Valley (german: Inntal) and lends its name to the Zillertal Alps, the strongly glaciated section of t ...
(Ziller river valley) on its north.
Geography
The range is bounded by the ''Tuxerjoch''
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...
to the north (separating it from the
Tux Alps
The Tux Alps (german: Tuxer Alpen) or Tux Prealps (''Tuxer Voralpen'') are a sub-group of the Austrian Central Alps, which in turn form part of the Eastern Alps within Central Europe. They are located entirely within the Austrian federal state o ...
); the ''
Birnlücke
The Birnlücke () is the border pass at the western end of the Hohe Tauern mountains in Austria, between the Venediger Group and the adjoining Zillertal Alps. The border between Austria and Italy has run over the pass since 1919. The pass forms t ...
'' - ''Forcella del Picco'' pass to the east (separating it from 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 ...
); the
Eisack
The Eisack (german: Eisack, ; it, Isarco ; Latin: ''Isarus'' or ''Isarcus'') is a river in Northern Italy, the second largest river in South Tyrol. Its source is near the Brenner Pass, at an altitude of about 1990 m above sea level. The river draw ...
and its tributary the
Rienz to the south (separating it from the
Southern Limestone Alps
The Southern Limestone Alps ( it, Alpi Sud-orientali, german: Südliche Kalkalpen), also called the Southern Calcareous Alps, are the ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps mainly located in northern Italy and the adjacen ...
); and the
Brenner Pass
The Brenner Pass (german: link=no, Brennerpass , shortly ; it, Passo del Brennero ) is a mountain pass through the Alps which forms the border between Italy and Austria. It is one of the principal passes of the Eastern Alpine range and has ...
to the west (separating it from the
Stubai Alps
The Stubai Alps (in German ''Stubaier Alpen'') is a mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps of Europe. It derives its name from the Stubaital valley to its east and is located southwest of Innsbruck, Austria. Several peaks form the border betwe ...
).
Sub-groups
The Zillertal Alps are divided into the following sub-groups:
* Tux main ridge (''Tuxer Hauptkamm'')
* Zillertal main ridge (''Zillertaler Hauptkamm'') and side ridges
This is further sub-divided as follows: Hauptkamm, Hochstellerkamm, Greinerkamm, Mörchen and Igentkamm, Floitenkamm, Ahornkamm, Riblerkamm, Magnerkamm.
* Reichenspitze Group and eastern Ziller ridges
This is further subdivided as follows: Reichenspitzkamm, Gerloskamm, Schönachkamm, Wimmerkamm, Schwarzachkamm, Zillerkamm, Klockerkarstock.
* Pfunderer Mountains (''Pfunderer Berge'')
This is further subdivided as follows: Kreuzspitzkamm, Plattspitzkamm, Wurmaulkamm, Grubbachkamm, Mühlwalder Kamm.
Peaks
The main peaks of the Zillertal Alps are:
Passes
The main
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human a ...
es of the Zillertal Alps are:
External links
CheckCams in the Zillertal Alps
{{Authority control
Mountain ranges of the Alps
Mountain ranges of Tyrol (state)
Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park