Salzkammergut

47°42′N 13°35′E / 47.700°N 13.583°E / 47.700; 13.583

View of Hallstatt.
1895 map (from Meyers Konversations-Lexikon 4th ed.), showing the area between c. 47°30′N 13°20′E / 47.500°N 13.333°E / 47.500; 13.333 and 47°55′N 13°50′E / 47.917°N 13.833°E / 47.917; 13.833, centered on Bad Ischl.

The Salzkammergut (Austrian German: [ˈsaltskamɐɡuːt], Northern German: [ˈzaltskamɐɡuːt] ⓘ; Central Austro-Bavarian: Soizkaumaguad) is a resort area in Austria, stretching from the city of Salzburg eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the peaks of the Dachstein Mountains. The main river of the region is the Traun, a right tributary of the Danube.

The name Salzkammergut translates to "salt demesne" (or "salt domain"), Kammergut being a German word for territories held by princes of the Holy Roman Empire, in early modern Austria specifically territories of the Habsburg monarchy. The salt mines of Salzkammergut were administered by the Imperial Salzoberamt in Gmunden from 1745 to 1850.

Parts of the region were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.[1]

  1. ^ Homepage of the Permanent Delegation to UNESCO in Austria - Description Hallstatt-Dachstein / Salzkammergut Cultural Landscape