Salzach

The Salzach (Austrian: [ˈsaltsax]; ) is a river in Austria and Germany. It is 227 km in length and is a right tributary of the Inn, which eventually joins the Danube. Its drainage basin of 6829 km2 comprises large parts of the Northern Limestone and Central Eastern Alps. 83% of its drainage basin (5643 km2) lies in Austria, the remainder in Germany (Bavaria). Its largest tributaries are Lammer, Berchtesgadener Ache, Saalach, Sur and Götzinger Achen.

Etymology
The river's name is derived from the German word Salz "salt" and Aach. Until the 19th century, shipping of salt down the Salzach was an important part of the local economy. The shipping ended when the parallel Salzburg-Tyrol Railway line replaced the old transport system.

Course
The Salzach is the main river in the Austrian state of Salzburg. The source is located on the edge of the Kitzbühel Alps near Krimml in the western Pinzgau region. Its headstreams drain several alpine pastures at around 2300 m (metres above the Adriatic), between Krimml and the Tyrolean state border, 3 - 5 km north of the Gerlos Pass on the slopes of the Salzachgeier (2466 m) and the nearby Schwebenkopf peak 2,354 m).

From here, it runs eastwards through a large valley via Bruck south of Lake Zell to Schwarzach im Pongau. It then turns northwards and passes Sankt Johann im Pongau. North of here, the Salzach forms the narrow Salzachöfen Gorge between the Berchtesgaden Alps and the Tennen Mountains and before flowing to Hallein and the city of Salzburg. From the junction with its Saalach tributary in the northern Salzburg basin, the Salzach forms the border between Bavaria, Germany and the Austrian states of Salzburg and Upper Austria for almost 70 km. Cities on the banks in this lower section include Laufen and its sister town Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Tittmoning, and Burghausen. All these towns have border crossings.

The river finally empties into the Inn in Haiming between Burghausen and Braunau.

Tributaries
Upper and lower reaches: Putzengraben, Trattenbach (Salzach at Wald) and Dürnbach (Salzach) from the Kitzbühel Alps, Krimmler Ache, Obersulzbach (Salzach), Untersulzbach (Salzach), Habach (Salzach), Hollersbach (Salzach), Felberbach, Stubache, Kapruner Ache from the High Tauern, Pinzga from Lake Zell, Fuscher Ache, Rauriser Ache from the High Tauern, Dientener Bach from the Salzburg Slate Alps, Gasteiner Ache, Großarlbach, Kleinarlbach from the High Tauern, Fritzbach from the Dachstein Massif, Mühlbach (Salzach) and Blühnbach (Salzach) from the Hochkönig.

Lower reaches: Lammer from the east, Torrener Bach (in the Blunau Valley) from the Berchtesgaden Alps, Taugl (Salzach) and Almbach from the Hintersee (Osterhorn Group), both from the Osterhorn Group, Königsseer Ache from the Königssee, Kehlbach (Salzach), Fischach from the lake Wallersee, Klausbach, Saalach the largest tributaries, Sur and Götzinger Achen on the Bavarian side, Oichten near Oberndorf and Moosach in the Salzburg-Upper Austrian border region.

Hydroelectric power plants
Currently, there are 12 hydroelectric power plants on the Salzach. The power plants are listed beginning at the headwaters: