, image = UnterinntalWest.JPG
, image_caption = Lower Inn valley from Rattenberg castle
, source1_location =
Swiss Alps
The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swis ...
(
Lägh dal Lunghin
Lägh dal Lunghin (German: ''Lunghinsee'') is a lake at an elevation of 2484 m, below the peak of Piz Lunghin, in the Graubünden, Switzerland. It is considered the source of the Inn River.
See also
*List of mountain lakes of Switzerland
Thi ...
)
, source1_elevation =
, source1_coordinates=
, mouth_location =
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 ...
(
Passau
Passau (; bar, label= Central Bavarian, Båssa) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany, also known as the Dreiflüssestadt ("City of Three Rivers") as the river Danube is joined by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north.
Passau's po ...
)
, mouth_elevation =
, mouth_coordinates =
, progression =
, subdivision_type1 = Countries
, subdivision_name1 =
, subdivision_type2 = Cities
, subdivision_name2 =
, length =
, discharge1_location=
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
, discharge1_avg =
, basin_size =
The Inn ( la, Aenus; rm, En) 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 ...
in
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
,
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 betwee ...
. The river is long. It 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
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 ...
and it is the third largest tributary of the Danube by discharge. The highest point of 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, ...
is the summit of
Piz Bernina at . The
Engadine, the valley of the En, is the only Swiss valley whose waters end up in the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Rom ...
(via the Danube).
Etymology
The name Inn is derived from the old Celtic words ''en'' and ''enios'', meaning ''water''. In a document of 1338, the river was named ''Wasser'' (German for water). The first written mention from the years 105 to 109 (Publii Corneli Taciti historiarium liber tertius) reads: "''... Sextilius Felix... ad occupandam ripam Aeni fluminis, quod Raetos Noricosque interfluit, missus...''" ("... Sextilius Felix was sent to capture the banks of the Inn, which flows between the Rhaetian people and the Noric people.") The river is also mentioned by other authors of the Roman Empire as ''Ainos'' (Greek) or ''Aenus'' (Latin). In medieval Latin it was written as ''Enus'' or ''Oenus''. The change in the old Bavarian language from ''e'' to ''i'' turned Enus to ''In''. Until the 17th century, it was written like this or ''Yn'', but also ''Ihn'' or ''Yhn''. The double-n appeared only in the 16th century, for example in the Tyrolian Landreim of 1557, and since the 18th century this spelling and pronunciation with a short vowel has been customary.
[Otto Stolz: ''Geschichtskunde der Gewässer Tirols.'' Schlern-Schriften, Band 32, Innsbruck 1932, S. 6–14 und 83–88]
Digitalisat
The mentions in Roman times refer to the lower course. The Tyrolean section was first called Aenus by
Venantius Fortunatus in the 6th century. The name
Engadin and the Romansh name ''En'' indicate that the upper reaches of the river have always been called this way. Even though it was occasionally believed that the Inn originated near the
Adige at the
Reschen Pass, since the 16th century at the latest the origin has been seen uniformly in the area of the lakes at the
Maloja Pass.
A connection may exist between the name Inn and the name of the French river
Ain.
[Arnaud Vendryes: ''L'Ain : le nom d'une rivière à travers les sources.'' In: Société d'Emulation du Jura, Travaux 2015, S. 147–168]
Geography
The source is located in the
Swiss Alps
The Alpine region of Switzerland, conventionally referred to as the Swiss Alps (german: Schweizer Alpen, french: Alpes suisses, it, Alpi svizzere, rm, Alps svizras), represents a major natural feature of the country and is, along with the Swis ...
, west of
St. Moritz in the
Engadine region, which is named after the river (
Romansh ''Engiadina'';
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
''vallis Eniatina''). Shortly after it leaves its source, the Inn flows through the largest lakes on its course,
Lake Sils and
Lake Silvaplana
Lake Silvaplana (german: Silvaplanersee; rm, Lej da Silvaplauna) is a lake in the Upper- Engadine valley of Grisons, Switzerland. It takes its name from the village of Silvaplana. The lake is also connected to the nearby Lej da Champfèr. Togethe ...
. It runs north-eastwards, entering Austria, and from
Landeck
Landeck () is a city in the Austrian state of Tyrol, the capital of the district of Landeck.
Geography
Landeck is located in the Tyrolean Oberland in the west of the state at an elevation of about . The town is situated in the valley of the In ...
eastwards through the Austrian state of
Tyrol
Tyrol (; historically the Tyrole; de-AT, Tirol ; it, Tirolo) is a historical region in the Alps - in Northern Italy and western Austria. The area was historically the core of the County of Tyrol, part of the Holy Roman Empire, Austrian Emp ...
and its capital,
Innsbruck
Innsbruck (; bar, Innschbruck, label=Austro-Bavarian ) is the capital of Tyrol and the fifth-largest city in Austria. On the River Inn, at its junction with the Wipp Valley, which provides access to the Brenner Pass to the south, it had a p ...
(''bridge over the Inn''), and crosses the border into
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 l ...
near
Kufstein.
On Bavarian territory the river runs northwards and passes
Rosenheim
Rosenheim is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is an independent city located in the centre of the district of Rosenheim (Upper Bavaria), and is also the seat of its administration. It is located on the west bank of the Inn at the confluence of th ...
,
Wasserburg am Inn, and
Waldkraiburg; then it turns east, runs through
Mühldorf
Mühldorf am Inn (Central Bavarian: ''Muihdorf am Inn'') is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.
History
During the Middle Ag ...
and
Neuötting
Neuötting is a town in the district of Altötting, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated on the river Inn, 2 km north of Altötting, about 70 km north of Salzburg, 80 southwest of Passau and almost 100 km east of Munich. It is a st ...
and is enlarged by two major tributaries, the
Alz and the
Salzach. From here to 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 ...
, it forms the border between Germany (Bavaria) and Austria (
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 ...
). Towns on this last section of the river are
Marktl am Inn,
Simbach on Inn,
Braunau am Inn and
Schärding.
In
Passau
Passau (; bar, label= Central Bavarian, Båssa) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany, also known as the Dreiflüssestadt ("City of Three Rivers") as the river Danube is joined by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north.
Passau's po ...
the Inn finally enters the Danube (as does the river
Ilz
The Ilz () is a river running through the Bavarian Forest, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Danube and in length ( including its main source river Große Ohe), during which it travels down a height difference of ~140m.
The Ilz is formed ...
there). Although the Inn has a greater average flow than the Danube when they converge in Passau, and its watershed contains the Piz Bernina, the highest point in the Danube watershed, the Inn is considered a tributary of the Danube, which has a greater length, drains a larger surface area, and has a more consistent flow.
The Inn is the only river originating in Switzerland that ends in the Black Sea (via the Danube).
Tributaries
* Right tributaries (in downstream order):
Flaz
The Flaz is a river in the Swiss region of Engadin. The Flaz starts at the confluence of Bernina with Roseg; after that Flaz flows in the territory of Pontresina and Samaden where its waters reaches the Inn
Inns are generally establishments ...
,
Spöl,
Clemgia,
Faggenbach,
Pitzbach
The Pitze (also: ''Pitzbach'') is a river in the Imst district, Tyrol, Austria, a right tributary of the river Inn.
The Pitze flows through the Pitztal
The Pitztal is an alpine valley located in Tyrol, Austria. The Pitztal is a southern side val ...
,
Ötztaler Ache,
Melach
The Melach is a river of Tyrol, Austria, in the western part of the Innsbruck-Land District, a tributary of the Inn
Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typical ...
,
Sill
Sill may refer to:
* Sill (dock), a weir at the low water mark retaining water within a dock
* Sill (geology), a subhorizontal sheet intrusion of molten or solidified magma
* Sill (geostatistics)
* Sill (river), a river in Austria
* Sill plate, ...
,
Ziller,
Alpbach
Alpbach (, ) is a town in western Austria in the state of Tyrol.
History
The earliest written record of the name Alpbach comes from 1150, although human settlement is known to have begun there before and around the year 1000, and a bronze axe f ...
,
Wildschönauer Ache,
Brixentaler Ache
The Brixentaler Ache is river of Tyrol, Austria, a right tributary of the Inn. It passes through the districts of Kitzbühel and Kufstein. It is one of the largest tributaries of the Inn in the Tyrolean Unterland by catchment area (), but is only ...
,
Weißache,
Kaiserbach,
Rohrdorfer Ache,
Sims,
Murn,
Alz,
Salzach,
Enknach,
Mattig,
Ach,
Hartbach,
Antiesen
Antiesen is a river of Upper Austria and a right tributary 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 highwa ...
,
Pram
Pram or PRAM may refer to: a bulbous growth on senior canines, varying in size, usually benign and painless. If it bursts, it will ooze pus and blood.
Places
* Pram, Austria, a municipality in the district of Grieskirchen in the Austrian state o ...
* Left tributaries (in downstream order; two different rivers called Rott exist):
Beverin,
Schergenbach,
Sanna,
Gurglbach,
Höttinger Bach,
Mühlauer Bach,
Brandenberger Ache
The Brandenberger Ache is a river of Bavaria, Germany, and of the Kufstein District, Tyrol, Austria.
It is a long left tributary of the Inn. It starts as the outflow of the Spitzingsee in southern Bavaria, and flows from North to South to the t ...
,
Kieferbach
Kieferbach (also: ''Thierseer Ache'') is a river of Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. It flows into the Inn near Kiefersfelden.
Course
The river rises in Tyrol as Klausbach from several small, occasionally dry creeks on the north side o ...
,
Auerbach Auerbach, German for "meadow-brook", may refer to the following:
Places
In Austria
*Auerbach, Upper Austria, Braunau am Inn district
In Germany
Places:
*Auerbach (Albtal), a village of Karlsbad, administrative area in Baden-Württemberg
*Auerba ...
,
Kirchbach,
Mangfall
The Mangfall is a river of Upper Bavaria, Germany. The Mangfall is the outflow of the Tegernsee lake and discharges in Rosenheim from the left into the Inn. It is long.
Towns and villages on the Mangfall
* Gmund am Tegernsee
* Valley
* We ...
,
Rott,
Attel
Attel is a river of Bavaria, Germany. It flows into the Inn near Ramerberg.
See also
*List of rivers of Bavaria
A list of rivers of Bavaria, Germany:
A
* Aalbach
*Abens
* Ach
* Afferbach
* Affinger Bach
* Ailsbach
* Aisch
* Aiterach
*Alpb ...
,
Isen
Isen may refer to:
*Isen, Bavaria, a town in Germany
*Isen, Kagoshima, a town in Japan
* Isen (river) in Bavaria, Germany
*The fictitious River Isen in Tolkien's literature
* ISEN, a group of three French higher education establishments
*Nissae Ise ...
,
Rott
Flow
The average
discharge
Discharge may refer to
Expel or let go
* Discharge, the act of firing a gun
* Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer
* Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from ser ...
at the
mouth
In animal anatomy, the mouth, also known as the oral cavity, or in Latin cavum oris, is the opening through which many animals take in food and issue vocal sounds. It is also the cavity lying at the upper end of the alimentary canal, bounded on ...
of the Inn is .
2013 flood
On June 3, 2013, the
discharge
Discharge may refer to
Expel or let go
* Discharge, the act of firing a gun
* Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer
* Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from ser ...
of the Inn in
Passau
Passau (; bar, label= Central Bavarian, Båssa) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany, also known as the Dreiflüssestadt ("City of Three Rivers") as the river Danube is joined by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north.
Passau's po ...
reached
and the water levels reached , the highest recorded historic flood level since 1501.
The historic centre of Passau, where 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 ...
, Inn and
Ilz
The Ilz () is a river running through the Bavarian Forest, Germany. It is a left tributary of the Danube and in length ( including its main source river Große Ohe), during which it travels down a height difference of ~140m.
The Ilz is formed ...
converge, was flooded severely.
Hydroelectric power plants
Currently, there are 24
hydroelectric
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 an ...
power plants on the Inn. 17 of them are operated by
Verbund AG.
The power plants are listed beginning at the headwaters:
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Rivers of Switzerland
Rivers of Bavaria
International rivers of Europe
Engadin
Rivers of Tyrol (state)
Austria–Germany border
Rivers of Graubünden
Braided rivers in Europe
Rivers of Austria
Rivers of Germany