Northern Limestone Alps

The Northern Limestone Alps are a Gebirgszugsystem the Northern Alps, which is upstream of the main Alpine ridge in the eastern Alps in parallel. The mountain system extends over about 500 km from the Vorarlberg Rhine Valley to Vienna and is up to 50 km wide.

3.1 The most prominent peak in the Northern Limestone Alps
3.2 Internationally renowned summit

4.1 glaciers

5.1 rocks
5.2 Plate Tectonics
5.3 Natural Stones

6.1 National Parks
6.2 biosphere Reserves

7.1 Remote / distance trails
7.2 mountain railways 7.2.1 gear webs

Disambiguation

The definition and delimitation of the northern Limestone Alps is based both on the geological and geographical criteria. Except for the northern Alps include the Eastern Alps according to the usual threefold division nor the Central Alps and the Southern Alps. Only in Germany, where the Alps share almost invariably consists of limestones, the terms " Limestone " and " Northern Alps " are largely used interchangeably.

Division of the Northern Limestone Alps

The classification of the Eastern Alps is parallel to the course of the main ridge in the longitudinal direction geographically and geologically meaningful. In contrast to many other mountain ranges in the world, the Eastern Alps are characterized by a series of longitudinal valleys. These include the Inn Valley, the Salzach, the Enns Valley and the Mur valley. The border between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Central Alps follows on long drives these longitudinal valleys.

Course of the mountain ranges

The Northern Limestone Alps extend from the Alpine Rhine Valley in a width of 25 to 45 km through Vorarlberg, Tyrol, the Bavarian districts of Swabia and Upper Bavaria, through Salzburg, the northern Styria, Upper Austria and Lower Austria.

In the south, the Northern Limestone Alps are accompanied by a marked longitudinal furrow in the West first, followed by the Arlberg line to the east then from Landeck via Innsbruck to Wörgl from the Inn Valley. Further eastward the furrow runs less marked over St. Johann and Tendered to Bischofshofen, then follows again very striking the upper Enns to about the Phyrn highway, then through the Schoberpass to the Mur, and over the Semmering to against Wiener Neustadt. Only the Rätikon far west is no such deferral to the south.

The peak heights of the Northern Limestone Alps, between the Rhine and Styria essentially at about 2700 - 3000 m constant and then eastward taking against the Vienna Basin to around 2000 m from. The high ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps are accompanied north of the lower, forested, about 1700 m high Limestone Alps.

Territorial outline

Share of the Northern Limestone Alps have Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Switzerland has only insofar share, as a Rhine loop has been cut off by the straightening of the Rhine and the area with the Swiss village Diepoldsau now no longer left bank, but right bank, thus lies in the eastern Alps and the Northern Limestone Alps.

In Germany, the Free State of Bavaria has a share in the Northern Limestone Alps. Bavaria is the only German state, the share of the Northern Limestone Alps, as well as the total. The state of Baden- Württemberg has only a small share of the Northern Limestone Alps, where the northern boundary of the Allgäu Alps is not in the strict sense (ie between Immenstadt and Oberstaufen ) drawn, but in a broader sense and includes the collection of Adelegg at Isny with.

In Austria the provinces of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Styria, Lower Austria and Vienna have a share in the Northern Limestone Alps.

In Bavaria there are the following sub- groups of the Northern Limestone Alps: Allgäu Alps ( part), Wettersteingebirge ( partial), Karwendel ( partial), Oberammergau Alps ( partial), Bavarian Alps ( partial), Berchtesgaden Alps ( part), Chiemgau Alps ( partial)

In Vorarlberg are the following sub- groups of the Northern Limestone Alps: Bregenzerwald Mountains (all ), Allgäu Alps ( part), Lechquellengebirge (all ), Lech Valley Alps (partially).

In Tyrol there are the following sub- groups of the Northern Limestone Alps: Allgäu Alps ( part), Lech Valley Alps ( part), Wettersteingebirge ( partial), Mieminger chain (all ), Karwendel ( partial), Rofangebirge (all ), Oberammergau Alps ( part), Bavarian Alps ( partial), Kaiser Mountains (all ), Lofer and Leogang mountains ( part), Chiemgau Alps (partially).

In Salzburg there are the following sub- groups of the Northern Limestone Alps: Lofer and Leogang Mountains (part of), Berchtesgaden Alps ( part), Chiemgau Alps ( part), Salzburg Slate Alps ( part), Tennen Mountains (all ), Dachstein Mountains (part of), Salzkammergut Mountains (partially).

In Upper Austria are the following sub- groups of the Northern Limestone Alps: Dachstein Mountains ( partial), Dead Mountains ( part), Ennstaler Alps ( partial), Salzkammergut Mountains (part of), Upper Austrian Alps ( part), Ybbstaler Alps ( partially ).

In Styria there are the following sub- groups of the Northern Limestone Alps: Salzburg Slate Alps ( partial), Dachstein Mountains (part of), Dead Mountains ( part), Ennstaler Alps ( partially ), high Schwab Group (all ), Miirzsteg Alps (all ), Rax- Schneeberg group ( partial), Ybbstaler Alps ( part), Türnitzer Alps ( partially ).

In Lower Austria are the following sub- groups of the Northern Limestone Alps: Upper Austrian Alps ( part), Rax -Schneeberg Group ( partial), Ybbstaler Alps ( part), Türnitzer Alps ( part), Gutensteiner Alps (all ) Vienna Woods (all ).

The Vienna State has only share in the Vienna Woods and shares this subgroup of Lower Austria.

Mountain groups according to the AVE

A definition of the Northern Limestone Alps and its subdivision into individual mountain groups is carried out according Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps (AVE ).

After this the Northern Limestone Alps are divided into the following subgroups (the order and numbering of the subgroups runs from west to east):

A geological special case is the Drauzug having geologically much in common with the Northern Limestone Alps, is south of the Central Alps, however, commonly attributed to the Southern Limestone Alps because of its location.

Summit

The highest peak in the Northern Limestone Alps is the Parseierspitze, 3036 m in the Lech Valley Alps.

The most prominent peak in the Northern Limestone Alps

Despite her compared to the central Eastern Alps, Southern Limestone Alps and Western Alps significantly lower maximum heights are below the peaks of the Northern Limestone Alps many particularly prominent mountains with major saddle heights, including nine so-called Ultra Prominent peaks whose saddle height is at least 1500 meters. The High King is the sechstprominenteste mountain in the Alps and the most prominent outside of the central Alps.

The following list shows the 20 most prominent mountains of the Northern Limestone Alps. The highest peak in the Northern Limestone Alps, the Parseierspitze, dressed in this list only the 19th place.

Internationally renowned summit

The internationally best-known peaks are:

Schesaplana, 2964 m, near Bludenz, ( Rätikon mountains, therefore, excluded from the geographical definition used in this article, however, clearly geologically part of the NKA )
Pledges, 1064m at Bregenz ( Allgäu Alps; Note: Geologic not part of the Bregenz Forest of the ACC, but for Vorlandmolasse )
Nebelhorn, 2224 m in Oberstdorf ( Allgäu Alps )
Zugspitze, 2962 m near Garmisch -Partenkirchen (weather stone)
Wendelstein, 1838 m in Bavarian Zell ( Bavarian Alps)
Watzmann, 2713 m in Berchtesgaden ( Berchtesgaden Alps, Salzburg Limestone Alps )
High King, 2941 m at Bischofshofen ( Berchtesgaden Alps, Salzburg Limestone Alps )
Dachstein, 2995 m at Schladming ( Dachstein Mountains )
Sheep Mountain, 1783m at St. Wolfgang (Salzkammergut Mountains )
Hochkar 1808 m in Gostling an der Ybbs ( Ybbstaler Alps)
Snow Mountain, 2076 m at Puchberg ( Rax -Schneeberg Group)
Kahlenberg, 484 m at Vienna ( Vienna Woods; Note: Geologic no longer part of the northern Vienna Woods to the Northern Limestone Alps, but the flysch zone and the Limestone Alps border on the southern outskirts of Vienna)

Nature Equipment

Glacier

In the Northern Limestone Alps, there are some small and very small glaciers.

The largest part of the Northern Limestone Alps, however, glacier -free. The remaining glacier in the Northern Limestone Alps are very small in comparison to the glaciers of the central Eastern Alps or even the Western Alps. Even in the Southern Limestone Alps in the eastern Alps there are larger glaciers.

The glaciers of the Northern Limestone Alps are - engaged in a process of shrinking - like many other glaciers in the Alps and worldwide. Only a few glaciers that carry this name, have in the Northern Limestone Alps to the typical glacial features, such as columns, crevasse and flow of the ice. In a continuation of the current climate trend the last glacier in the Northern Limestone Alps will be gone no later than in 50 to 100 years.

In the Bavarian language area - in Bavaria and Tyrol - with the glaciers are " addition " means. In other areas of the Northern Limestone Alps of high German term is used.

By far the largest glacier in the Northern Limestone Alps are in the Dachstein group. Hallstatt Glacier is the largest glacier in the Dachstein. The subgroup houses another two major glaciers, the Great Gosau glacier and the Schladming glacier. The other glaciers of the Dachstein mountain range are now little more than ice fields, such as the Edelgrieß Glacier, Southern and Northern Torsteingletscher, the Gosau glacier and the snow hole glacier.

The Schneefernerhaus in Wettersteingebirge is the largest German glacier. A few years ago here SummerSkiing was operated. This glacier has now shrunk to the extent that he has long since split into two parts, the Northern and Southern Schneefernerhaus. The Wettersteingebirge houses with the Höllentalferner the best trained German glacier with a plurality of columns, gap edge and tongue. About this Höllentalbahn the famous climb leads to the Zugspitze.

In the Berchtesgaden Alps, located on the Northern Slope of the High King Übergossene Alm, a plateau glacier, which is increasingly showing signs of disintegration. This also highly threatened in its existence Blaueis on hochkalter is considered the northernmost glacier in the Alps. Also the watzmann glacier is considered by the Bavarian Academy of Sciences as a glacier. At the foot of Watzmann east wall is the ice chapel called avalanche cone, whose lower end is located at 930 m above sea level and which is likely to act thus to the lowest year-round ice rink existing in the Alps.

In the Allgäu Alps, located on the southern flank of the Mädelegabel Schwarzmilzferner, the increasingly loses by the strong melting of the last decades its glacial character. The famous Heilbronn path leads directly from the " Gletscherchen ".

In the Lech Valley Alps there is a right, column- rich glacier ice movement with visible: the impressive Vorderseeferner below the Vorderseespitze. In addition, there are further small glaciers: The Fallbacher Further below the fire point, the Parseierferner on Dawinkopf, the Grinner Further, in the Parseierspitze, the Pazielferner on Trittkopf and Grießlferner in the northern flank of the Grießlspitze.

The Karwendel Mountains are located in the northern flank of the Eiskarlnspitze a split richer, smaller glaciers, which Eiskarln.

In the Mieminger chain there are the peaks of the semolina little Schneefernerhaus with some columns.

In Lechquellengebirge is located on the northern slope of the red wall a small glacier with distinct columns which makes this mountain seen from the north unmistakable. Furthermore, extending on the Braunarlspitze the high glaciers.

The glaciers are thus conceived in a constant shrinkage. For the annual snow cover the mountains but this seems limited to apply. It is difficult to determine that the high regions of the mountains are snow-free earlier in the year.

Geology

The Northern Limestone Alps are part of the Eastern Alps and consist predominantly of massive sedimentary rocks such as va Dolomite, limestone and marl. The 600 km long mountain range is the result of a massive thrust of marine sediments from the south. The sedimentary rocks were deposited on older rocks of the greywacke zone, which also predominantly counts in the ADF - diction to the Northern Limestone Alps, geologically speaking it is a separate unit. It occurs mainly on the southern edge of the Northern Limestone Alps. North of the Northern Calcareous Alps ( in the geological sense) to the flysch zone, the Helvetic and the subalpine Molasse, which have to be added in the AVE - diction for the most part as well, but their mountaineering significance is mainly limited to Vorarlberg and the Allgäu.

Much of the Kalkalpengesteine was deposited during the period from Upper Permian to Jurassic in the northern continental shelf of the geologically belonging to Africa Adriatic plate. A small part of the Gosau sediments, came to rest in the Upper Cretaceous and the deeper Paleogene on a vorwandernden already northward nappe stack. The Alpine limestone slabs were pushed over during the orogeny of the Alps during the Eocene and Oligocene of south far beyond the edge of the European continent. The greywacke rocks at the base of the Northern Limestone Alps represent the remnants of a Variscan mountain belt, which was completely leveled at the end of the Paleozoic of the erosion and then flooded by the sea.

The flysch deposits originated from a deep trough that formed during the advance of the Alps to the north while the Gosau sediments in the Cretaceous and Paleogene the. The Helvetic rocks belong to the old European continental margin, are located mainly north of the flysch zone and occur mainly in the western Alps, but also rich in Vorarlberg and in the Allgäu, occasionally also to Vienna. The Subalpine Molasse consists of sediments that have been poured into the former foreland in the unfolding of the Alps during the Paleogene and lower Neogene and were later included in the Alps form. They also range from Switzerland Vorarlberg to the Allgäu and only sporadically eastward to Lower Austria.

Rocks

Essential components of the Northern Limestone Alps are rocks of the Mesozoic era, which the triad contributes the largest limestone and dolomite masses. These older sediments of Limestone (Upper Permian to the lower Jurassic) are sequences of a typical passive continental margin. Well-known and powerful formations are stratigraphically and topographically prominent and for the triad including the main dolomite Wettersteinkalk and the Dachstein Limestone. This limestone and dolomite sequences to build the majority of the highest peaks on ( such as watzmann, High King, Hoher Dachstein, high Schwab ). Other rocks such as marl, sandstone and shale are less clearly, in particular the rocks of throwing Formation ( Upper Permian to lower Triassic) but reach places greater distribution.

Rocks of Jurassic age are among others the Allgäu Formation ( also called spot marl ) and the upper layers or Almer Aptychenschichten. Most layer limbs of the Jura are rather small powerful (especially in the lower and middle Jurassic ). Siliceous rocks are found mainly in the southern sector of the Northern Limestone Alps. The published there radiolaritischen rocks were deposited in deep-sea trenches, as they are known in subduction zones, and therefore demonstrate the closing of the Neotethys Ocean in - law.

The rocks of the greywacke zone consist mainly weak metamorphic rocks ( slates, phyllites, limestones and marbles, ... ) from the Paleozoic ( Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous ).

The Gosau - rocks consist of conglomerates, sandstones, marls and limestones. The Flyschgesteine consist of sandstones, marls and shales. The molasse rocks consist mainly of conglomerates and sandstones.

In very low prevalence and metamorphic rocks, such as mica schist exist on the southwestern edge of the Lech Valley Alps.

At minerals comes in the Northern Limestone Alps mainly calcite (CaCO3) in a variety of variations before, rare different mineral phases or mineralization. Fluorite ( fluorspar, CaF2), galena (PbS ) and sphalerite (ZnS ) have been and are mined in the Northern Limestone Alps, copper ore and silver ore, siderite ( FeCO3 ) and magnesite ( MgCO3 ) in the greywacke zone. The flysch zone, the Helvetic and the molasses are extremely low in mineable minerals.

Plate tectonic

In the Jura, especially in the Central and Upper Jurassic, there was a first ceiling stacking of sedimentary rocks by the closure of a hotel on the east end of the Neotethys ocean basin ( Meliata Ocean ). At the same time, or shortly after, the ocean basins of the Alpine Tethys, a connection between the young Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Tethys in the east, in which were deposited the rocks of the Penninikums opened. During the Cretaceous the previously formed Jurassic nappe stack during the closure of the Alpine Tethys was repeatedly tectonically overprinted and altered on his back, the Gosau sediments were deposited. At the end of the shift operations, the Northern Limestone Alps were pushed onto the Flysch Zone and the Helvetic, sometimes also on the Subalpine Molasse, which accompany them today at its northern edge.

Natural stones

Adnet marble
Unterberger marble

Reserves

National Parks

In the Northern Limestone Alps, there are three national parks.

The Berchtesgaden National Park is located south of the same town in Germany in Bavaria in the Berchtesgaden Alps. It was founded in 1978 and has an area of 20,808 ha

The Limestone Alps National Park is located south of Steyr in Austria in the federal state of Upper Austria in the Upper Austrian Alps. It was founded in 1997 and has an area of 23,221 ha

The National Gesäuse is Admont in Austria in Styria in the Ennstaler Alps. It was founded in 2002 and has an area of 11,052 ha

Biosphere Reserves

In the Northern Limestone Alps are currently three biosphere reserves.

The biosphere reserve Great Walser Valley includes the eponymous valley with surrounding mountains in Austria in the province of Vorarlberg in parts of the Bregenzerwald Mountains and the Lechquellen Mountains. The total area is 19,200 ha, of which 4,010 ha are located in the core zones, 12,366 ha in the buffer zones and 2,824 ha in the development zone.

The biosphere reserve Berchtesgaden Alps comprises greater part of the Berchtesgaden Alps in Germany in Bavaria. The total area is 46 742 ha, of which 16,982 ha are located in the core zone ( Berchtesgaden National Park ), 3,835 ha in the buffer zone and 25,925 ha in the development zone.

The Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve since 2005 includes large parts of the Vienna Forest west of Vienna.

Tourism

Remote / distance trails

The Via Alpina, a cross-border long-distance trail with five sub- paths through the whole Alps, also runs through the Northern Limestone Alps

The Red Trail Via Alpina reached the Northern Limestone Alps near Schwaz in the Inn Valley. It runs through the Karwendel, the weather stone that Mieminger chain Lech Valley Alps, Allgäu Alps, the Lechquellengebirge and the Bregenzerwald Mountains to Feldkirch, where he leaves the Northern Limestone Alps.
The Yellow Trail Via Alpina reached the Northern Limestone Alps in Zams am Inn. It runs through the Lech Valley Alps and Allgäu Alps, where it ends in Oberstdorf.
The Purple Trail Via Alpina reached the Northern Limestone Alps in shoots. It runs through the Ennstaler Alps, the Totes Gebirge, Salzkammergut Mountains, Dachstein Mountains, the Tennen Mountains, Berchtesgaden Alps, the Chiemgau Alps, Bavarian Alps, the Oberammergau Alps and Allgäu Alps, where it ends in Oberstdorf.

The European long-distance hiking trail E5 ( Atlantic Ocean - Lake - Alps - Adria ) reaches the Northern Limestone Alps in Bregenz. It passes through the Allgäu Alps and the Lech Valley Alps to Zams in the Inn Valley, where he enters the central Alps.

Mountain railways

Rack railways

In the Northern Limestone Alps, there are five cog railways.

The Bavarian Zugspitze Railway is located in Bavaria in Wettersteingebirge.
The Wendelsteinbahn located in Bavaria in the Bavarian Alps.
The Achenseebahn is located in Tyrol at the edge of Rofan.
The Sheep Mountain Railway is located in the province of Salzburg in the Salzkammergut Mountains.
The snow mountain railway to the highest mountain of Lower Austria, the snow mountain.

Note: The Berchtesgaden, Chiemgau, Oberammergau, and parts of the Allgäu Alps and other mountainous units are often referred to as Bavarian Alps. For the Berchtesgaden Alps, the Lofer and Leogang Mountains, Tennen Mountains and the mountains of the Salzkammergut region in the Austrian province of Salzburg Salzburg Limestone Alps, the term is often used.

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