Altötting (; Bavarian: ''Oidäding'') is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in

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 ...

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 ...

. It is bounded by (from the east and clockwise)

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 the Bavarian districts of

Traunstein Traunstein ( Central Bavarian: ''Traunstoa'') is a town in the south-eastern part of Bavaria, Germany, and is the administrative center of a much larger district of the same name. The town serves as a local government, retail, health services ...

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

Rottal-Inn Rottal-Inn is a ''Landkreis'' (district) in the southeastern part of Bavaria, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from the south clockwise) Altötting, Mühldorf, Landshut, Dingolfing-Landau and Passau. To the southeast is the Austrian state Uppe ...

History

Altötting was one of the original parts of Bavaria. It was settled by Bavarian tribes shortly after the retreat of the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

. 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 journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

. The district of Altötting was established in 1837.

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the sovereig ...

was born here 1927 in the village of

Marktl Marktl, or often unofficially called ''Marktl am Inn'' ("Little market on the river Inn"), is a village and historic market municipality in the state of Bavaria, Germany, near the Austrian border, in the Altötting district of Upper Bavaria. T ...

. 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

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 The Salzach (Austrian: �saltsax ) is a river in Austria and Germany. It is in length and is a right tributary of the Inn, which eventually joins the Danube. Its drainage basin of comprises large parts of the Northern Limestone and Central ...

, 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