Altötting (;
Bavarian: ''Oidäding'') is a
''Landkreis'' (district) in
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. It is bounded by (from the east and clockwise)
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
and the Bavarian districts of
Traunstein,
Mühldorf and
Rottal-Inn.
History
Altötting was one of the original parts of Bavaria. It was settled by Bavarian tribes shortly after the retreat of the
Romans. During the rule of duke Tassilo III (748-788) the place of Ötting was mentioned for the first time (the towns of Altötting and Neuötting are derived from that place). Soon in the 9th century the region became a religious centre with famous churches and monasteries. In the 15th century it became a place of
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
.
The district of Altötting was established in 1837.
Pope Benedict XVI was born here 1927 in the village of
Marktl.
The hearts of many of the rulers of Bavaria are buried in the Chapel of Grace in the middle of the town square.
Geography
The district is located in the alpine upland on the
Austria
Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
n border. The main axis of the region is the river
Inn, which crosses the district from west to east. It is joined by two large tributaries, the
Alz coming from the south and the
Salzach, which forms the eastern border of the district. In addition there are several smaller rivers and brooks. The district once was covered with deciduous forests, but is now mainly agriculturally used. However, there are some nature reserves along the lower Alz River and at the mouth of the Salzach River.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms displays:
* left: the pilgrimage Chapel of Grace in the town of Altötting
* right: the blue and white checked pattern of Bavaria
Towns and municipalities
References
External links
* (German)
Unofficial website(German)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Altotting (District)
Districts of Bavaria
Districts of Upper Bavaria