The Watzmann ( Bavarian : Watzmo ) is a mountain in the Berchtesgaden Alps south of the village of Berchtesgaden . It is the third highest in Germany, and the highest located entirely on German territory.
51-466: Three main peaks array on a N-S axis along a ridge on the mountain's taller western half: Hocheck (2,651 m), Mittelspitze (Middle Peak, 2,713 m) and Südspitze (South Peak, 2,712 m). The Watzmann massif also includes the 2,307 m Watzmannfrau ( Watzmann Wife , also known as Kleiner Watzmann or Small Watzmann ), and the Watzmannkinder ( Watzmann Children ), five lower peaks in the recess between
102-588: A false sense of security. From the Südspitze, most hikers will not return to the Watzmann Hut but continue to descend into the Wimbachgries valley and from there back to Ramsau . One should estimate 12 to 17 hours for the complete circuit, stable weather conditions are essential as drastic weather change on the ridge between the peaks can be fatal. On the northeastern face of the massif at 1,346 m (4,416 ft)
153-530: A few fields of firn , but between 1965 and 1980 it advanced significantly again and now has an area of 10.1 hectares (25 acres). Above and to the west of the icefield lie the remains of a JU 52 transport-bomber that crashed in October 1940. Amongst the other permanent snow and icefields the Eiskapelle ("Ice Chapel") is the best known due to its easy accessibility from St. Bartholomä . The Eiskapelle may well be
204-423: A very diverse landscape, with predominance of hilly and mountainous terrain of Pleistocene oragins and later scuptedby by former glaciers. Over 2/3s of Slovenian Carinthia is covered by forest (lagly beech, fir, and spruce) and the amount of forested land is still increasing. Mount Peca or Mount Raduha is in the eastern part of Kamnik–Savinja Alps of northern Slovenia . The Alpine Rhine has as its source
255-459: Is a scenic viewpoint called Archenkanzel. From there, it is possible to look down to lake Königssee , which is 743 meters below, and also to St. Bartholomew's Church . A much more serious and challenging climb is the famous East Face ( Watzmann-Ostwand ), which rises from the Hirschau peninsula at lake Königssee to the main peaks in a vertical ascent of around 1,800 metres (the longest wall in
306-774: Is a 464 kilometres (288 mi). long river in Central Europe with a drainage basin that covers an area of 14,109 km (5,448 sq mi). It risesin the Hohe Tauern national park of the Central Eastern Alps in Austria with its source being 1,898 m (6,227 ft) above sea level. It is a tributary of the Drava and subsequently the Danube . The important rivers in Tyrol are
357-511: Is around two hours from the Watzmann Hut. From the Hocheck, hikers can return to the hut or continue and traverse to the Mittelspitze and from there to the Südspitze. The traverse is more challenging, at the easier end of UIAA Class II, and very exposed. Permanent cables once existed along the ridge, but were dismantled at some points to prevent inexperienced hikers from attempting the traverse, having
408-574: Is the highest summit of the Rätikon, located on the border between Liechtenstein and Switzerland . About half of Liechtenstein's territory is mountainous. and the highest point of Liechtenstein is the Vordere Grauspitz (Vordergrauspitz) mountain with an altitude of 2599m above sea level. The Falknishorn, at 2452 meters above sea level, is the 5th highest mountain in Liechtenstein and represents
459-666: The Adige , Inn , and Drau (or Drava ). The important river in Carinthia is the Drau (or Drava ). The important river in Slovenia is the Sava . Triglav National Park was founded in 1981. It was originally set out in 1924 on a smaller scale and scrapped between 1944 and 1961. The mountains of the canton include part of a thrust fault that was declared a geologic UNESCO World Heritage Site , under
510-568: The Alemanni also influenced the makeup of the Principality of Liechtenstein and is also evidenced by the remains of a Roman fort at Schaan . Roman villas have been excavated in Schaanwald and Nendeln . The area that Innsbruck is located in was probably inhabited in the early Stone Age . Several surviving pre-Roman place names exist in and about the city. In the 4th century Chur also became
561-558: The Alps , on the border between Austria and Switzerland . On the eastern side is a mountain path, of grade T4, allowing non-climbers to reach the 2817 metre summit. There are six known caves in the limestone mountain, with lengths between 800 and 3000 or more yards, all with entrances on the Eastern side, in Switzerland. Mount Grauspitz ( Vorder Grauspitze or Vorder Grauspitz on some maps)
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#1732851892774612-867: The Bohemian Massif . The easternmost spur is formed by the Vienna Woods range, with the Leopoldsberg overlooking the Danube and the Vienna basin , which is the transition zone to the arch of the Carpathian Mountains . The highest mountain in the Eastern Alps is Piz Bernina at 4,049 m (13,284 ft) in the Bernina Group of the Western Rhaetian Alps in Switzerland. The sole four-thousander of
663-732: The Celts before it became part of the ancient Roman provinces of Raetia and Noricum . There were two Celtic tribes settled in the future Vorarlberg area: the Raeti in the highlands, and the Vindelici in the lowlands, i.e. the Lake Constance region and the Rhine Valley prior to the Romans conquered Vorarlberg area. Rome conquered the area of the future Municipality of Schellenberg in 15BCE. Most of
714-456: The Eastern Alps ). While the easiest routes through the east wall is rated UIAA Class III, the wall has claimed almost 100 lives so far. Difficulties include the length of the climb, route-finding, and deteriorating weather conditions approaching from west, the predominant direction for weather change in the area, difficult to ascertain from the face. A simple emergency shelter has been erected in
765-686: The Großglockner , which stands on the border of Carinthia & East Tyrol in Austria, at 3,798 m (12,461 ft), the highest mountain of Austria. The region around the Großglockner and the adjacent Pasterze Glacier has been a special protection area within the High Tauern National Park since 1986. Other high Tyrolian mountains include Königspitze (3,851 m), Monte Cevedale (3,769 m), and Wildspitze (3,768 m). Crossing Tyrol, on
816-769: The Upper Rhine River. Eastern Switzerland, Vorarlberg and Liechtenstein was under the Alemanni and 73% of Liechtenstein's current population still speak the native Alemannic dialect of German at home as of 2022. After the fall of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in 553, the Germanic tribe of the Lombards invaded Italy via the Tyrol and founded the Lombard Kingdom of Italy , which no longer included all of Tyrol, but only its southern part. The northern part of Tyrol came under
867-639: The Western Alps , with the contiguous ice shield ending in the region of the Niedere Tauern in Austria . This allowed many species to survive the ice age in the Eastern Alps where they could not survive elsewhere. For that reason, many species of plants are endemic to the Eastern Alps. The first signs of humans living in the area of present-day Liechtenstein can be dated back to the Middle Paleolithic era. Neolithic farming settlements appeared in
918-781: The Wimbachtal valley, the massif of Hochkalter (2,607 metres (8,553 ft)). The Watzmann is the third highest mountain massif in Germany. The Watzmann Glacier , located below the eastern face of the Watzmann, and the Blaueis , adjacent to the Hochkalter, are two of the five glaciers in Germany. The park also contains the Hintersee . The first nature conservation area in the Berchtesgaden Alps
969-502: The Eastern Alps (AVE) widely used by Austrian and German mountaineers , these mountain chains comprise several dozen smaller mountain groups, each assigned to four larger regions: For the breakdown of these regions into mountain groups see the List of mountain groups in the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps . The Swiss Alpine Club (SAC) has a slightly different classification of
1020-689: The Eastern Alps (two-part division of the Alps ) or to the Central Alps (three-part division of the Alps) depending on how its geology classified. The Rätikon mountain range, in the Central Eastern Alps , derives its name from Raetia . The Julian Alps cross the Italian border from Frulia into Slovenia's Municipality of Bovec. The highest mountain is Mt. Triglav 2,864 m (9,396 ft). The High Tauern mountain range in which Mt Grossglockner , 3,797 m (12,457.35 ft) lies, separates Carentania from
1071-626: The Eisbach emerges from the Eiskapelle . Before entering there is an urgent warning sign that others have been killed by falling ice. In the east face itself is another icefield in the so-called Schöllhorn cirque, called the Schöllhorneis , which is crossed by the Kederbach Way ( Kederbacher-Weg ). The cirque and icefield are named after the Munich citizen, Christian Schöllhorn , who was the first victim on
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#17328518927741122-746: The Inn'. Vorarlberg 's notable mountain ranges include the Silvretta, the Rätikon, the Verwall and the Arlberg. The highest mountain is the Piz Buin , whose rocky peak of 3,312 m (10,866 ft). The Silvretta Alps cut across Tirol and Vorarlberg (both in Austria), and Graubünden (Switzerland). Mount Sulzfluh is well frequented by climbers and is situated in the Rätikon range of
1173-889: The Rhine Valley and belong to the Helvetic cover or flysch zone of the Alps. A sandstone mountain belt called the Flyschzone runs along the Northern Margin of the Limestone Alps and used to be part the submereded sea bed of the Tethys Ocean . The chain also includes the Klippenzone and Steinitzer Wald . Liechtenstein lies entirely within the Rhaetikon and is thus allotted either to
1224-675: The Swiss canton of Grisons, which flows through the Chur Rhine Valley, or Grisonian Rhine Valley ( German : Churer Rheintal, or Bündner Rheintal ) and Vorarlberg Rhine Valley ( German : Voralberger Rheintal ). It later forms the border between Switzerland to the west and Liechtenstein and later Austria to the east. The Mur ( German pronunciation: [ˈmuːɐ̯] ) or Mura ( Slovene pronunciation: [ˈmúːɾa] ; Croatian: [mǔːra] ; Hungarian: [ˈmurɒ] ; Prekmurje Slovene : Müra or Möra )
1275-402: The Watzmann Hut at 1,928 metres, such as hiking trail 441 from Wimbachbrücke. This is quoted as taking four hours, though an experienced hiker can do it in less than three. One typically spends the night there and then climbs to the summit the next morning. The climb from the hut to the Hocheck peak (2,651 m) is quite straightforward, though a head for heights is required on the peak. The Hocheck
1326-656: The area east of a line from Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine valley, up to the Splügen Pass at the Alpine divide , and down the Liro River to Lake Como in the south. The peaks and mountain passes are lower than the Western Alps , while the range itself is broader and less arched. The Eastern Alps include the eastern parts of Switzerland (mainly Graubünden ), all of Liechtenstein , and most of Austria from Vorarlberg to
1377-470: The border between North and South Tyrol, runs the main chain of the Alps . The city of Innsbruck is in the broad valley between high mountains of the so-called North Chain in the Karwendel Alps ( Hafelekarspitze , 2,334 metres or 7,657 feet) to the north and Patscherkofel (2,246 m or 7,369 ft) and Serles (2,718 m or 8,917 ft) to the south. The name "Innsbruck" means 'bridge over
1428-792: The center of the park is a large lake, the Königssee , which is elongated from the south to the west and is the source of the Königsseer Ache , a right tributary of the Salzach . A smaller lake, the Obersee , is located above the Königssee and drains into it. The whole area of the park belongs to the drainage basin of the Salzach, and, consequently, of the Danube . West of the lake is the massif of Watzmann (2,713 metres (8,901 ft)), and beyond that, separated by
1479-425: The east face. On 26 May 1890 he fell at the upper end of the icefield into the randkluft and was fatally injured. Another small nameless snowfield is located several hundred metres below the Mittelspitze also in the east face. The best climbing period is June through September, in some years October. The easiest route is to follow hiking trails from the village of Ramsau near the small town of Berchtesgaden up to
1530-409: The east, as well as parts of extreme Southern Germany ( Upper Bavaria ), northwestern Italy ( Lombardy ), northeastern Italy ( Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol , Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia ) and a good portion of northern Slovenia ( Upper Carniola and Lower Styria ). In the south the range is bound by the Italian Padan Plain ; in the north the valley of the Danube River separates it from
1581-410: The easternmost mountainous areas of Friuli , known as the Friulian Slavia , as well in as the Karst Plateau and the area north and south of Gorizia . At this time, Chur was also conquered by the Franks . After the fall of the Western Roman Empire , Ticino was ruled by the Ostrogoths , the Lombards and the Franks . The Alemanni or Alamanni , were a confederation of Germanic tribes on
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1632-400: The influence of the Bavarii , while the west was probably part of Alamannia . Most of Tyrol came under the control of the Duchy of Bavaria (created c. 555) while the rest remained under the Lombards. By the 590s AD, today's East Tyrol and Carinthia had come to be referred to in historical sources as Provincia Sclaborum (the Country of Slavs). The territory settled by Slavs, however,
1683-565: The lands of the region were once part of a Roman province called Raetia , which was established in 15 BCE. The current capital of Graubünden, Chur , was known as Curia in Roman times. The area was later part of the diocese of Chur . A Roman road crossed Liechtenstein from south to north, traversing the Alps by the Splügen Pass and following the right bank of the Rhine at the edge of the floodplain, for long uninhabited because of periodic flooding. Some Roman villas have been excavated in Schaanwald and Nendeln . Nearly 2,000 years later, some of
1734-442: The landscapes of the Berchtesgaden Alps . Headquartered in the town of Berchtesgaden , the park was designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1990. The park is located in the mountainous area south of the town of Berchtesgaden. The eastern, southern, and western boundaries of the park coincide with the state border between Germany and Austria. The area of the park is economically undeveloped, and there are no settlements. In
1785-403: The lowest lying permanent snowfield in the Alps. Its lower end is only 930 metres high in the upper Eisbach valley and is about an hour's walk from St. Bartholomä on the Königssee . The Eiskapelle is fed by mighty avalanches that slide down from the east face of the Watzmann in spring and accumulate in the angle of the rock face. Sometimes a gate-shaped vault forms in the ice at the point where
1836-399: The main peaks and the Watzmannfrau. The entire massif lies inside Berchtesgaden National Park . The Watzmann Glacier is located below the famous east face of the Watzmann in the Watzmann cirque and is surrounded by the Watzmanngrat arête , the Watzmannkindern and the Kleiner Watzmann . The size of the glacier reduced from around 30 hectares (74 acres) in 1820 until it split into
1887-432: The name Swiss Tectonic Arena Sardona , in 2008. The Vienna Woods are a protected piece of upland forestry in Austria. The Pasterze Glacier a protected piece of mountain glacier in Austria. The ranges are subdivided by several deeply indented river valleys, mostly running east–west, including the Inn , Salzach , Enns , Adige , Drava , and Mur valleys. According to the traditional Alpine Club classification of
1938-424: The park was expanded. As of 2012, its area was 210 square kilometres (81 sq mi). There are six information centers, located in Berchtesgaden, in Ramsau, and inside the park. The park maintains an extensive network of trails. One of the cultural attractions of the park is the pilgrimage Church of Saint Bartholomew , located on the Königssee. Eastern Alps The Eastern Alps are usually defined as
1989-401: The population of Graubünden still speak Romansh which has descended from Vulgar Latin . By 259, Alamanni tribes had overrun the Limes and caused widespread devastation of Roman cities and settlements in the Crisis of the Third Century . The Roman Empire succeeded in re-establishing the Rhine as the border, but it was now a frontier province. The late Roman influx from the north by
2040-420: The range, its name is taken from the Bernina Pass and was given in 1850 by Johann Coaz , who also made the first ascent. The rocks composing Piz Bernina are diorites and gabbros , while the massif in general is composed of granites ( Piz Corvatsch , Piz Palü ). Excepting other peaks in the Bernina range, the next highest is the Ortler at 3,905 m (12,812 ft) in Italian South Tyrol and third
2091-407: The ranges, based on the political borders in the canton of Graubünden. In Italy the 1926 Partizione delle Alpi concept is quite common, recently superseded by the SOIUSA attempt to combine the different approaches. Other specific, especially hydrographical arrangements are also in use. The Alps comprise four main nappe systems: During the Würm glaciation , the Eastern Alps were drier than
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2142-470: The seat of the first Christian bishopric north to the Alps . Despite a legend assigning its foundation to a legendary British king, St Lucius, the first known bishop is one Asinio in AD 451. In the 6th century the Slavs settled the area , and the local dioceses collapsed. This is shown in archaeological culture . A Slavic language group was established in the area. The Alpine Slavs , who are reckoned to be ancestors of present-day Slovenes, also settled in
2193-403: The southernmost point of the country. The area known as the Liechtenstein-Graubünden-Vorarlberg border triangle is around the Naafkopf mountain that reaches 2570m above sea level. In addition to the peaks of the Alpine chain, which belong to the Limestone Alps, two inselbergs , Fläscherberg (1135 meters above sea level .) in the south and Eschnerberg (698 m) in the north, rise from
2244-490: The state of Salzburg in the northwest. To the northeast and to the east beyond the Pack Saddle mountain pass is the state of Styria . Carinthia lies in the Karawanks mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps and contains both the Meža Valley down to the confluence with the Drava Valley ( Dravska dolina ) and the Municipality of Jezersko south of the Seeberg Saddle mountain pass, totalling 478 km (185 sq mi): Austrian and Slovenian Carinthia has
2295-428: The valleys around 5300 BCE. A Bronze Age settlement at the site goes back as far as the Pfyn culture (3900–3500 BCE), making Chur one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland . In ancient times, the area of what is today Ticino was settled by the Lepontii, a Celtic tribe. Later, probably around the reign of Augustus, it became part of the Roman Empire . In ancient times, the region had long been inhabited by
2346-430: The wall. Even experienced climbers are advised to hire a local guide for the wall as finding the route can be challenging. Berchtesgaden National Park Berchtesgaden National Park is in the south of Germany , on its border with Austria, in the municipalities of Ramsau bei Berchtesgaden and Schönau am Königsee , Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria . The national park was established in 1978 to protect
2397-479: Was a former Alpine Slavic (Alpska Slovanščina) \proto-Slovenian principality that emerged from Samo's Empire in the second half of the 7th century, in the territory of present-day southern Austria and north-eastern Slovenia. Carantania was absorbed into the Frankish Empire in 745. The province of Lower Rhaetia was formed in 814. The Frankish March of Carinthia , created within the Carolingian Empire in 889. The city of Chur suffered several invasions: by
2448-439: Was also inhabited by remnants of the indigenous Romanised Celtic and Pannonian population, who preserved the Christian faith and helped convert the Slavs of Carantania . From 623 to 658 Slavic peoples between the upper Elbe River and the Karawanks mountain range. They united under the leadership of King Samo (Kralj Samo). Carantania, (AKA: Carentania, Slovene: Karantanija, German: Karantanien, in Old Slavic *Korǫtanъ),
2499-472: Was created in what is currently the southeastern part of the park in 1910. It had an area of 8,600 hectares (21,000 acres) and was organized according to the model of National Parks in the United States. In 1919, the mountain hotel of St. Bartolomew was built. In March 1921, the area was expanded to 20,400 hectares (50,000 acres). At the time, it included both the Watzmann and the Hochkalter. During World War II , Hermann Göring , who, among other responsibilities,
2550-414: Was put forward. It clearly contradicted the plans for creation of a national park, and in the end it was abandoned in 1972 by the decision of the Free State of Bavaria, which also decided to create a national park. The park was opened on 1 August 1978, and had a total area of 208.08 square kilometres (80.34 sq mi). In 1990, the national park was recognized by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve. In 2010,
2601-404: Was the State Minister of Forestry and Hunting, declared the area around Obersee a particularly protected natural conservation area. In addition, six areas formally protecting the fauna were designated. In practice, they were used for hunting. The initiative to create a national park was first introduced in 1953. In the 1960s, a concurrent initiative to build an aerial lift to the summit of Watzmann
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