Salzkammergut

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The Almsee in the Almtal valley

The Salzkammergut is a resort area east of Salzburg, Austria, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria, Salzburg, and Styria. The name Salzkammergut means "possession of the salt chamber" and is so-called because it belonged to the Imperial Salt Chamber, the authority charged with running the precious salt mines in the Habsburg empire.

With its numerous lakes and and mountains, the Salzkammergut offers many opportunities to take part in water sports, bathing, hiking, cycling and golf as well as relaxing around lakes such as the Grundlsee or Toplitzsee. The Katrinalm, an alpine pasture, is found near Bad Ischl. Typical Salzkammergut culinary specialities include dishes such as Kaiserschmarren (a sweet omelette), Krapfen (similar to donuts) or Lebkuchen.

It was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1997, with this description: "Human activity in the magnificent natural landscape of the Salzkammergut began in prehistoric times, with the salt deposits being exploited as early as the 2nd millennium B.C. This resource formed the basis of the area's prosperity up to the middle of the 20th century, a prosperity that is reflected in the fine architecture of the town of Hallstatt."

[edit] Regions in the Salzkammergut

Wolfgangsee with St. Gilgen in the foreground

The Salzkammergut' consists of ten regions which also include lakes:

Ausseerland
Inner Salzkammergut
MondseeLand - Mondsee/Irrsee
Almtal touristic region
Attersee touristic region
Attergau touristic region
Bad Ischl touristic region
Traunsee touristic region
Fuschlsee touristic region
Wolfgangsee touristic region

[edit] List of towns in the Salzkammergut

Town	Elevation (m)	Population	Additional information
Altaussee	720 - 1800	1897
Altmünster	433	9485
Attersee	469	1500
Aurach am Hongar	498	1585
Bad Aussee	650 - 1500	5037
Bad Goisern	504	8462
Bad Ischl	468	16680	Summer residence of Emperor Franz Joseph
Bad Mitterndorf	812	3035	Location of the largest natural ski-jump, Kulm
Bad Wimsbach-Neydharting	385	2300
Ebenau	607	1352
Ebensee	425	8734
Faistenau	786	2900
Frankenmarkt	536	3500
Fuschl am See	670	1323
Gmunden	425	15075
Gosau	767	2000
Grünau	528	2100
Grundlsee	712	1218
Gschwandt	523	2500
Hallstatt	508	950	World Heritage Site
Hintersee	746	460
Hof bei Salzburg	730	3600
Innerschwand	520	1046
Koppl	750	3044
Laakirchen	441	9133
Mondsee	481	3100
Nussdorf am Attersee	500	1120
Oberhofen am Irrsee	573	1335
Obertraun	514	764
Oberwang	572	1572
Pichl-Kainisch	803	782
Pinsdorf	493	3585
Scharnstein	501	4876
Schörfling am Attersee	510	3163
Schwanenstadt	389	4330
Seewalchen am Attersee	495	4977
Steinbach am Attersee	509	1003
St.Georgen im Attergau	540	6546
St. Lorenz	486	2008
St. Gilgen	542	3706
St. Konrad	585	1033
Straß	579	1498
Strobl	542	3466
St. Wolfgang	540	2797	Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl once spent his summer holiday here
Tauplitz	900 - 2000	1005
Thalgau	545	5200
Tiefgraben	550	2950
Traunkirchen	422	1775
Unterach am Attersee	468	1500
Vöcklabruck	433	12000	“The Gateway to the Salzkammergut”
Vöcklamarkt	488	5000
Weyregg am Attersee	482	1503
Zell am Moos	573	1400