Salzburg (state)
Salzburg (area 7154 km², population 520,000) is a
state or
Land of
Austria, located adjacent to the
German border. It is one of the country's smallest states in terms of population. The capital city is
Salzburg.
Salzburg is comprised of five districts, known as
Bezirke or vernacularly
Gaue:
*
Pinzgau (district capital in
Zell am See)
*
Pongau (
Sankt Johann im Pongau)
*
Lungau (
Tamsweg)
*
Tennengau (
Hallein)
*
Flachgau/Bezirk Salzburg und Umgebung (Salzburg and environs)The city of
Salzburg is its own administrative district.
The Salzburgerland (the Austrian state of Salzburg) - with its primary river, the
Salzach - lies between
Upper Austria,
Styria,
Carinthia,
Tyrol and
Bavaria (
Germany).Running through the south are the main ranges of the
Central Alps (incl. the
Hohe Tauern mountains) with numerous 3,000-meter peaks. The
Dachstein Massif and the
Berchtesgaden Alps border the Salzburgerland to the east and north.
Salzburg was an independent
Archbishopric within the
Holy Roman Empire (see
Archbishopric of Salzburg) until the Imperial reorganization of
1803, when it was given as compensation to Grand Duke
Ferdinand III of
Tuscany, the brother of Emperor
Francis II. Following the Austrian defeat at
Austerlitz in
1805, Salzburg was annexed by Austria as compensation for the loss of
Tyrol to
Bavaria, and Ferdinand was transferred to
Würzburg. After Austria's defeat in
1809, the province was handed over to Bavaria in
1810. In
1816, following the defeat of
Napoleon and the provision of adequate compensation to Bavaria at the
Congress of Vienna, it was returned to Austria with the exception of the north-western 'Rupertigau' which remained Bavarian. Salzburg has been an Austrian state ever since.
It goes virtually without saying that salt plays a major role in the history of Salzburg - after all, it's what gives the city and state their names. Because of its vast salt deposits, the state made quite a name for itself and attained great wealth. Salt, often referred to as "White Gold", made so much possible. It financed the construction of numerous buildings, for example. And in this latter regard, the archbishops of Salzburg undoubtedly set the tone.
The Salzburg Cathedral was the first Baroque building in the German-speaking artistic world. Two other important buildings initiated by the Salzburg archbishops were Hohenwerfen Castle and Hohensalzburg Fortress. The first Archbishop of Salzburg was Arno (785-821), in whose honor the world-famous hiking circuit - the Arnoweg - is named.
The predominant stylistic elements of Salzburg architecture have their origins in the Baroque and the Rococo periods.
Salzburg's historic "Old Town" was named by UNESCO as a Treasure of World Cultural Heritage.
*Tourist Regions: 21
*Resort Towns: 115
*Guest Beds: 192,000
*Lakes: 185
*Biggest lake:
Wolfgangsee *Longest river: Salzach
*Highest mountain: Grossvenediger elev. 3,666 m
*Hiking paths: 7,200 km
*Hill farms: 1,800 - 550 of them serving refreshments
*National parks: 1
*Marked cycle paths: 2,000 km
*Mountainbike trails: 3,000 km (incl. cross-border routes)
*Golf courses: 13
*Ski slopes: 1,700 km
*Cross-country ski trails: 2,220 km
*Night slopes: 14
*Winter hiking paths: 2,500 km
Flachau,
Wagrain,
St. Johann,
Zell am See,
Obertauern,
Bad GasteinSalzburg is home to one of the longest and deepest gorges of the
Alps,
Liechtensteinklamm. It is located near
Sankt Johann im Pongau or
St.Johann/Pg., a small town in the middle of the state.
*
Salzburg State Tourist Board *
Salzburg State Government*
Salzburg Travel Guide*
Hotels and tourist information for Salzburg, Vienna, Austria
