Austria in three geological zones
The Austrian Alps cover three quarters of the country, crossing it from east to west, with peaks exceeding 3,000 m, of which the Grossglockner (3,797 m) is the highest point. These mountains make north-south communications difficult and explain the strategic importance of the passes, Semmering Pass, Brenner Pass, etc. The mountains are cut by high and wide valleys which are not a deserted mountain territory, but have a large population and industries. The valleys of the Inn, Enns, Salzach and Mur are important centres of economic and cultural development, as is the Danube plain.
The Hercynian BohemianMassif occupies the northern part of the country, covering the regions of Lower Austria and Upper Austria on the border with the Czech Republic. This area is watered by the Danube, which is steeped in this part of its course.
The eastern end, with its gentle relief, is occupied by the Vienna and Burgenland basin, which heralds the great Hungarian plain of Pannonia. Statistically and schematically speaking, 62% of the territory is covered by the Eastern Alps (Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Carinthia, Styria, Salzburg, parts of Upper Austria), 11% by the Hercynian pre-Alps and massifs, 11% by the so-called "Eastern Plain" (Burgenland, parts of Styria), 5% by the Vienna Basin, and 10% by the high plateaus. More than 900 peaks exceed 3,000 m in altitude, including the famous "Alpenhauptkamm (ridge line of the Great Alps). The Danube(Donau), whose course inspired the most beautiful pages of the country's history, crosses northern Austria from west to east for 356 km. The Danube is the longest river in Europe (2,857 km).
Austria in 9 regions
Vorarlberg, in the west, is an Alemannic country, facing the Rhine, while the other regions are facing the Danube and the Mediterranean. The Tyrol, for its part, was divided after the First World War between Austria (Nordtirol and Osttirol) and Italy (Südtirol).
Burgenland is a country of steppe plains with a mild climate around the great lake of Neusiedl, a steppe lake surrounded by a wide belt of reeds.
Carinthia(Kärnten) is a sun-drenched southern mountain country with 200 lakes and unspoilt nature. It is home to parts of the Hohe Tauern and Gurktal Alps, the Gailtal Alps and the Carnic Alps. Lower Carinthia(Unterkärnten) has a large sedimentary basin.
Lower Austria(Niederösterreich), bathed by the Danube, is a fertile region of forests, vineyards, apricot orchards and "a thousand hills".
Upper Austria(Oberösterreich) alternates between mountains, lakes, river valleys, the Hallstatt lake and the Dachstein massif with the giant ice cave(Rieseneishöhle), the mammoth cave (Mammuthöhle) and the Koppenbrüller cave(Koppenbrüllerhöhle).
The state of Salzburg(Salzburg) is organized around a river axis along the Inn, embedded in the mountains, extended by the karst plateau of the Steinernes Meer, with an alpine valley to the south and the Hohe Tauern, which culminate at Grossglockner (3,797 m).
In Styria(Steiermark), the Alps cover three quarters of this territory culminating in the Hoher Dachstein glacier (2,995 m). The Mur, a tributary of the Danube, flows through it. Geological feature: the Bärenschutz Gorge.
Tyrol(Tirol), in the heart of the Alps, is a mountainous country with more than 500 peaks over 3,000 m, mountain ridges revealing more than 600 different glaciers, and alpine pastures.
Vorarlberg is the smallest of the Austrian states, but one of the most majestic with its mountains and Lake Constance, a true paradise of glaciers, lakes and alpine pastures.
The state of Vienna is marked by the presence of the Danube - the city of Vienna occupies its basin - and by a hilly relief.
