Saalachtal

As Saalachtal is the middle and lower reaches of the upper Saalachstrasse referred to a mountain river in Salzburg (Pinzgau, Flachgau ) and in southern Bavaria ( Berchtesgaden ).

History and Landscape

The main valley is about 70 km long and starts north of Lake Zell and forms the wide Talung of Saalfelden basin, the core area of the Saalachstrasse Pinzgau. First it separates the Kitzbühel Alps in the west, from which comes the Saalachstrasse, of the Salzburg Slate Alps in the east, then the Lofer Steinberg mountains and the Chiemgau Alps in the west of the Berchtesgaden Alps in the east. In Reichenhall and Großgmain the valley widens again and Freilassing between Salzburg and ends the valley, the Saalachstrasse flows through to their final kilometer the plane of the Salzburg - free Lassinger basin.

The 30 km long upper reaches of the Saalachstrasse is not described as Saalachtal, but bears the name Glemmtal, the range of source streams the name Hinterglemm.

Geology

The Saalachtal was formed by the Salzach Saalachstrasse Glacier. On his retreat of the glaciers left behind powerful Moränenschotterflächen that made ( 875 m) range of the Zeller lake in the north approximately 10,000 years ago until shortly before Saalfelden about to Kühbichl. In the post-glacial period the Saalachstrasse flowed into Lake Zell and with this southward into the Salzach. The bed load from the Glemmtal, which was deposited between Lake Zell and Maishofen as gravel, the Saalachstrasse blocking even the way south and changed its flow direction to the north, in its present bed. This has been proven by foundation excavations between Atzing and Unterreit.

Side valleys and Transport

By Saalachtal leads the Pinzgauer road (B 311) from Zell am See to Lofer shortly after followed by a short piece of the Lofer road (B 178) to the Austrian- German border. In Bavaria, the Federal Highway 21 and from Piding follows the federal highway 20 to the Talverlauf. This stretch of road is called the Little German Eck.

In addition to the Salzburg area on the lower reaches and the embouchure to Zeller See, ( Mitter Pinzgau, Zell am See) and upper Salzach (sub Pinzgau, Oberpinzgau ) are more important side valleys of Saalachtals:

• In Saalfelden basin Leoganger valley with the Hochkönigstraße (B 164) to the west in the Tyrolean district of Kitzbühel
• The Urslau with the Hochkönigstraße (B 164) Maria Alm- Tendered to Bischofshofen

There is no continuous train through the Saalachtal. [Note 1] The Salzburg -Tiroler -Bahn connects Zell am See, Saalfelden and Berchtesgaden train to Bad Reichenhall with Freilassing.