Geography Of Altenmarkt im Pongau
65 kilometers southeast of Salzburg, the state capital, lies Altenmarkt im Pongau. Additionally 45 kilometers separate it from Radstadt, St. Johann im Pongau’s district capital.Altitude of Altenmarkt im Pongau is 842 meters above sea level.
Part of the Central Eastern Alps, the eastern Alps include Altenmarkt im Pongau. The Dachstein massif is to the east and the Niedere Tauern mountain range to the south of the town.A tributary of the Danube, the Enns river cuts through the town and provides the boundary with the nearby municipality of Flachau.
Altenmarkt im Pongau borders the following municipalities:
- Flachau to the north
- Eben im Pongau to the east
- Filzmoos to the southeast
- Radstadt to the south
- Untertauern to the southwest
- Zauchensee to the west
Altenmarkt im Pongau is reachable by a number of modes of transportation. A railway station on the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway links the town to Innsbruck and Kitzbühel. The village is also next to the A10 highway, which is a segment of the European route E55 that connects Salzburg with Villach and Ljubljana.A bus terminal serving local and regional services is also located in the town.
Terrain and Topography
Mountain Ranges
Altenmarkt am Pongau boasts a varied landscape from high, craggy mountains to flat, productive plains. The village is in a basin that the Enns River and its tributaries created. Hills and mountains rising up to 2,000 meters above sea level ring the basin. The Lackenkogel, standing at 2,051 meters, is the town’s highest point.With an elevation of 820 meters, the Enns River is the lowest point.
Key mountain summits in Altenmarkt im Pongau include:
- Lackenkogel (2,051 m): The highest mountain in the town and the second highest in the Radstädter Tauern is Lackenkogel (2,051 m).Skiers and walkers frequent it.
- Strimskogel (2,140 m): Second highest mountain in the Niedere Tauern and the highest summit in the Radstädter Tauern is Strimskogel (2,140 m). Offering sweeping vistas of the surrounding mountains and valleys, it is situated south of Altenmarkt im Pongau.
- Rosskopf (1,930 m): Altenmarkt im Pongau is seen from this conspicuous summit in the Radstädter Tauern. Trekkers and mountain bikers frequent it.
- Mooskopf (1,849 m): Mooskopf is a summit in the Radstädter Tauern, west of Altenmarkt im Pongau. Skiers and walkers frequent it.
Notable Summits
Notable peaks in Altenmarkt im Pongau include:
- Gamskogel (2,188 m): Gamskogel is a peak in the Radstädter Tauern, south of Altenmarkt im Pongau. There’s a mountain chalet at the summit and it’s a well-liked hiking and skiing spot.
- Tauernkarleitenkopf (2,175 m): Tauernkarleitenkopf is a peak in the Radstädter Tauern, south of Altenmarkt im Pongau. It is a well-liked hiking and skiing spot with a mountain lodge at its foot.
- Strimsjoch (1,920 m): One 1,920-meter pass in the Radstädter Tauern that links Altenmarkt im Pongau with Zauchensee is called Strimsjoch. It is a well-liked hiking and skiing spot with a mountain lodge at the summit.
Valleys and Basins
Altenmarkt im Pongau is in a basin created by the Enns river and its tributaries. Hills and mountains around the basin provide many valleys and basins. In Altenmarkt im Pongau are the following valleys and basins:
- Altenmarkt im Pongau Basin: The primary basin in the town created by the Enns river and its tributaries is called Altenmarkt im Pongau Basin. A fertile, level region, it is used for tourism and agriculture.
- Zauchensee Basin: The Zauchensee lake and its tributaries create this basin to the west of Altenmarkt im Pongau. One uses this high-altitude region for hiking and skiing.
- Kleinarl Valley: The Kleinarl river and its tributaries created this valley north of Altenmarkt im Pongau. The region is steep and narrow and popular for trekking and skiing.
Bodies of Water
Lakes
- Zauchensee: Natural lake Zauchensee is situated in the Zauchensee basin. Having an area of 0.32 square kilometers and a depth of 15 meters, it is the biggest and deepest lake in the town. A glacial lake, it was created as the ice sheet receded during the previous ice age. Fishing, boating and swimming are popular activities on this picturesque and recreational lake.
- Reitecksee: Flachau valley manmade lake. It is a 0.02 square kilometer little, shallow lake with a 3 meter depth. Built in 1974, a dam on the Flachau River produced this reservoir lake. It is an ecologically and functional lake utilized for wildlife habitat, flood management, and irrigation.
Rivers and Streams
- Enns: The town is bordered with Flachau by the Enns river. With a 254 kilometer length and 201 cubic meter per second discharge, it is the town’s principal and longest river. Flowing from the Radstädter Tauern, it is a tributary of the Danube. There is hydroelectricity, fishing, and rafting on this picturesque and historic river.
- Zauchbach: A brook that empties into the Enns after passing via the town. With a 9 km length and a 2 cubic meter per second discharge, it is a little yet swift stream. This glacier stream rises in the lake Zauchensee. Fishing, swimming, and cooling are all done in this naturally occurring recreational river.
