Pinzgau

Pinzgau Region, Salzburg (since 1228), area of land west of Salzburg, between the Hohe Tauern mountain range to the south, Kitzbühel Alps and Steinernes Meer Mountains to the north, conterminous with the political district of Zell am See (area 2,641 km², pop. 77,277). Comprises the broader Upper Pinzgau Region along the upper course of the River Salzach (Krimml, Neukirchen, Mittersill, Uttendorf), the Middle Pinzgau Region (Saalachtal Valley with Saalfelden and Leogang and Lake Zeller See with Zell am See) and the Lower Pinzgau Region (around Bruck and Taxenbach); near Lend it borders on the Pongau Region. Mountain passes: Gerlos Pass into the Tirolian Ziller valley, Thurn Pass to Kitzbühel, Grießen Pass and Strub Pass to St. Johann in Tirol, Stein Pass to Germany, Felber Tauern Pass (Felbertauern Tunnel, 5,281 m) to East Tirol and Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße into the Carinthian Mölltal valley. The bottom of the valley is mainly comprised of pastures and woodland, most settlements are found at higher altitudes. The predominant farmhouse type is the Paarhof. Pinzgau is well known for its horse and cattle breeding. Important tourist areas are the Europe sports region Zell am See/Kaprun, Saalbach-Hinterglemm and Saalfelden, the Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße, the Venediger region and the Glockner area (holiday resort with Hohe Tauern National Park) and the Krimml Waterfalls. The Pinzgau Region contains over 20 large and small lakes; hydraulic power is well exploited (storage power stations in Kaprun Valley and Stubachtal Valley). Aluminium works in Lend.

Literature: A. Haslinger, Dialektgeographie des Pinzgau, doctoral thesis, Innsbruck 1961; H. Scholz, E. Pfeiffenberger-Scherer, Der alte Pinzgau, 1993.