Salzach Basin
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The Salzach (Austrian: ˆsaltsax ) is a river in
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
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 in length and is a right
tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''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 into which they ...
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 accomm ...
, which eventually joins the
Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...
. Its
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which 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, ...
of comprises large parts of the Northern Limestone and
Central Eastern Alps The Central Eastern Alps (), also referred to as Austrian Central Alps () or just Central Alps, comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps in Austria and the adjacent regions of Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy and Slovenia. South of them is ...
. 83% of its drainage basin () lies in Austria, the remainder in Germany (
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 ...
). 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. Its length is about . The river is known for ...
,
Berchtesgadener Ache The 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 ...
,
Saalach The Saalach is a river in Austria and Germany, and a left tributary of the Salzach. Course The river begins, as the stream, in the Austrian state of Tyrol in the Kitzbühel Alps at the lake below the high Gamshag. From there it flows ini ...
, Sur and
Götzinger Achen The Götzinger Achen is a river of Bavaria, in southeastern 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 * Ab ...
.


Etymology

The river's name is derived from the
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
word '' Salz'' "
salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
" 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 The Salzburg-Tyrol Railway () is a main line railway in Austria. It runs through the states of Salzburg and Tyrol (North Tyrol) from the city of Salzburg to Wörgl and belongs to the core network (''Kernnetz'') of the Austrian Federal Railways ...
line replaced the old transport system.


Course

The Salzach is the main river in the Austrian state of
Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
. The source is located on the edge of the
Kitzbühel Alps The Kitzbühel Alps ( 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). Location Two-thirds of ...
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 bord ...
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 (, , Serbo-Croatian: ''Metara iznad Jadrana'') is the vertical datum used in Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia to measure elevation, referring to the ave ...
), between Krimml and the Tyrolean state border, north of the
Gerlos Pass Gerlos Pass (elevation ) 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 valley. It is closed to ...
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 Bruck may refer to: People * Bruck (surname) * Bruck Dawit, Ethiopian–American musician and producer Places Bruck (Bavarian for "bridge") is a common name for towns: Austria * Bruck am Ziller, in the district of Schwaz in Tyrol * Bruck an de ...
south of
Lake Zell Lake 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 across at its widest. It is up to 73 metres deep ...
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 th ...
. 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 city in the States of Austria, state of Salzburg (state), Salzburg, Austria. It is the administrative centre of the St. Johann ...
. 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 the Tennen Mountains. Lueg ...
between the
Berchtesgaden Alps The Berchtesgaden Alps (, ) are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre. It is crossed by the Austria–Germany border: the central part belongs to the Berchtesgadener Lan ...
and the
Tennen Mountains The Tennen Mountains () is a small, but rugged, mountain range in the Northern Limestone Alps, which lies in front of the Eastern Alps for its entire length. It is a very heavily karstified high plateau, about 60 km² in area, with many ca ...
and before flowing to
Hallein Hallein () is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg (state), Salzburg. It is the capital of Hallein (district), Hallein district. Geography The town is located in the ''Tennengau'' region south of the City of Salzburg, stretching alo ...
and the city of
Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
. From the junction with its
Saalach The Saalach is a river in Austria and Germany, and a left tributary of the Salzach. Course The river begins, as the stream, in the Austrian state of Tyrol in the Kitzbühel Alps at the lake below the high Gamshag. From there it flows ini ...
tributary in the northern Salzburg basin, the Salzach forms the border between
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 ...
and the Austrian states of Salzburg and
Upper Austria Upper Austria ( ; ; ) is one of the nine States of Austria, states 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, and Salzburg (state), Salzbur ...
for almost . Cities on the banks in this lower section include Laufen and its sister town
Oberndorf bei Salzburg Oberndorf bei Salzburg ( Central Bavarian: ''Owerndorf ba SÃ¥izburg'') is a small city in the Austrian state of Salzburg, about 17 km (11 mi) north of the City of Salzburg. It is situated on the river Salzach in the Flachgau district. ...
,
Tittmoning Tittmoning () is a Town#Germany, town in the Traunstein (district), 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 ...
, and Burghausen. All these towns have border crossings. The river finally empties into the Inn in Haiming between Burghausen and Braunau.


Tributaries

Upper and lower reaches: , and from the
Kitzbühel Alps The Kitzbühel Alps ( 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). Location Two-thirds of ...
, Krimmler Ache, , , , , , , from the
High Tauern The High Tauern (plural, pl.; , ) 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 border of the Austrian states of Salz ...
, Pinzga from
Lake Zell Lake 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 across at its widest. It is up to 73 metres deep ...
,
Fuscher Ache The Fuscher Ache is a river of Salzburg, Austria, a right tributary of the River Salzach. The Fuscher Ache rises as the confluence of the Kaefertalbach und the Traunerbach near the '' Fuscher Törl'' at a height of about in the Lower Pinzgau. It ...
, from the High Tauern, from the
Salzburg Slate Alps The Salzburg Slate Alps () are a mountain range of the Eastern Alps, in the Austrian state of Salzburg (state), Salzburg. Situated within the greywacke zone, they could be regarded either as part of the Northern Limestone Alps or of the Central E ...
, , , from the High Tauern, from the , and from the
Hochkönig The Hochkönig is a mountain group containing the highest mountain (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 of Bis ...
. 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. Its length is about . The river is known for ...
from the east, (in the ) from the
Berchtesgaden Alps The Berchtesgaden Alps (, ) are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre. It is crossed by the Austria–Germany border: the central part belongs to the Berchtesgadener Lan ...
, and Almbach from the , both from the Osterhorn Group,
Königsseer Ache The Königsseer Ache is a river of Bavaria, in south-east 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 li ...
from the
Königssee The Königssee () is a natural lake in the 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 Bercht ...
, ,
Fischach Fischach is a Municipalities of Germany, municipality in the district of Augsburg (district), Augsburg in Bavaria in Germany. Geography Fischach is situated in the "Naturpark Westliche Wälder" south of Augsburg. The village has been establishe ...
from the lake Wallersee, Klausbach,
Saalach The Saalach is a river in Austria and Germany, and a left tributary of the Salzach. Course The river begins, as the stream, in the Austrian state of Tyrol in the Kitzbühel Alps at the lake below the high Gamshag. From there it flows ini ...
the largest tributaries, Sur and
Götzinger Achen The Götzinger Achen is a river of Bavaria, in southeastern 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 * Ab ...
on the Bavarian side, Oichten near Oberndorf and
Moosach Moosach is a municipality in the Upper Bavarian district of Ebersberg and a member of the ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' (administrative community) of Glonn. Geography The community lies in a picturesque setting in an ice-age moraine landscape abo ...
in the Salzburg-Upper Austrian border region.


Hydroelectric power plants

Currently, there are 12
hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
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) The Salza (; also Mariazeller Salza) is an eastern tributary of the Enns. It originates on the mountain in Lower Austria and flows South of Mariazell through the Styrian nature preserve . After , it flows into the Enns near (part of Landl). Its ...


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 (federal state) Rivers of Austria Rivers of Germany Border rivers