Salzburger Saalachtal Travel Destination
The Saalachtal is a river valley shared between a part of the Pinzgau region in Salzburg and neighbouring Bavaria (Germany). The section where the Saalach River runs through Salzburg territory is appropriately called "Salzburger Saalachtal" and one of the state′s official tourist destinations (as mentioned in our article on the south of Salzburg Province).
The spring of the Saalach can be found in the Glemmtal Valley (where you also find the famous skiing resort of Saalbach-Hinterglemm); the river leaves for Germany at Unken. In total, the course of the river is about 70 kilometres.
Much of the Saalachtal has pronounced bi-seasonal tourism, with skiing holidays on offer for the winter season and hiking and other alpine sports for the summer. The Salzburger Saalachtal tourist destination does not entail the Glemmtal Valley, which is a tourist destination on its own and extremely popular among German, British and Dutch skiers. The Salzburger Saalachtal, on the other hand, is less crowded. The municipalities included are Weißbach, Unken, St. Martin, Lofer and - by some measures - Saalfelden.
Mountains & Associated Things to Do in the Saalachtal
All of these communities are popular among domestic tourists and families. There are several mountain ranges and skiing areas within easy reach: The Loferer Steinberge, the Kitzbüheler Alpen, the Leoganger Steinberge, the Steinernes Meer, the Berchtesgadener Alpen and the Hochkaltermassiv. All of these massifs are part of the Northern Calciferous Alps and very scenic. Accordingly, the tourism infrastructure is well-developed (especially for skiing), but less commercialist than further south in the Pinzgau.
If you spend a summer vacation in the Salzburger Saalachtal or if you want a break from skiing for a day, the city of Salzburg and Zell am See are within easy reach. Note also that there are several attractions in the area that are worth seeing.
This applies for example to Schloss Lichtenberg near Saalfelden, the Kaserklamm (a river gorge), the Lamprechtshöhle (one of the world′s longest caves), the Seisenbergklamm (another scenic gorge), the Festung Kniepass (a museum in a fortified mountain pass) and the church of Pilgrimage of Maria Kirchenthal. In addition, there are innumerable mountain cabins and a dense network of hiking paths.
Links
http://salzburgerland.com/eng/
Official Website of the Salzburgerland
http://family.salzburgerland.com/eng/
On family holidays in the Salzburgerland Province
