Eastern Alps

The Eastern Alps are a beautiful part of the mountain range that stretches across Europe. They are usually defined as the area east of a line from Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine valley, up to the Splügen Pass at the Alpine divide, and down the Liro River to Lake Como in the south. While the peaks and mountain passes here are not as high as those in the Western Alps, the Eastern Alps cover a wider area and have a more spread-out shape. These mountains are home to many interesting landscapes, from high peaks to green valleys, making them a popular place for hiking, skiing, and exploring nature. People have lived in and visited the Eastern Alps for centuries, enjoying both the natural beauty and the rich cultures found in the region.

Geography

Overview

The Eastern Alps cover parts of several countries. They include eastern Switzerland (mainly Graubünden), all of Liechtenstein, and most of Austria from Vorarlberg to the east. They also reach into extreme Southern Germany (Upper Bavaria), northwestern Italy (Lombardy), northeastern Italy (Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia) and northern Slovenia (Upper Carniola and Lower Styria). In the south, the range ends at the Padan Plain in Italy. In the north, the Danube River separates it from the Bohemian Massif. The Vienna Woods form the easternmost part, overlooking the Danube and the Vienna basin, which leads to the Carpathian Mountains. The northern part includes the limestone Berchtesgaden Alps.

Mountains

The highest mountain in the Eastern Alps is Piz Bernina at 4,049 meters (13,284 feet) in the Bernina Group of the Western Rhaetian Alps in Switzerland. This mountain is made of diorites and gabbros, while the surrounding area includes granites. Other tall mountains are Ortler at 3,905 meters (12,812 feet) in Italian South Tyrol, and Großglockner at 3,798 meters (12,461 feet), the highest mountain in Austria, located on the border of Carinthia and East Tyrol. The region around Großglockner and the nearby Pasterze Glacier has been protected since 1986 within the High Tauern National Park.

Innsbruck, meaning "bridge over the Inn," lies in a valley between high mountains. To the north are the Karwendel Alps, and to the south are Patscherkofel and Serles. Vorarlberg has several mountain ranges including Silvretta, Rätikon, Verwall, and Arlberg, with Piz Buin as its highest peak at 3,312 meters (10,866 feet).

The Sulzfluh mountain, popular with climbers, is in the Rätikon range on the border between Austria and Switzerland. About half of Liechtenstein is mountainous, with Grauspitz as its highest point at 2,599 meters above sea level, located on the border between Liechtenstein and Switzerland. The Falknishorn, at 2,452 meters (8,045 feet), is the fifth highest mountain in Liechtenstein and marks the southernmost point of the country.

Two isolated hills, Fläscherberg and Eschnerberg, rise from the Rhine Valley. The High Tauern range, which includes Grossglockner, lies on the border between Carinthia and Tyrol (East Tyrol). The Julian Alps cross from Friuli in Italy into Slovenia's Bovec municipality, with Triglav as the highest mountain at 2,864 meters (9,396 feet). The Karawanks range straddles the border between Austrian Carinthia and Slovenian Gorenjska.

Rivers

The Alpine Rhine starts in the Swiss canton of Grisons, flowing through the Chur Rhine Valley and Vorarlberg Rhine Valley. It then forms the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and later between Switzerland and Austria.

The Mur or Mura is a river in Central Europe, about 464 kilometers (288 miles) long. It begins in the Hohe Tauern national park in Austria and flows into the Drava, which then joins the Danube. Major rivers in Tyrol include the Adige, Inn, and Drau (or Drava). In Carinthia, the main river is the Drau (or Drava), and in Slovenia, it is the Sava.

National parks and protected places

Triglav National Park was created in 1981, though it was first established on a smaller scale in 1924.

The Vienna Woods are a protected forest area in Austria.

The Pasterze Glacier is also protected in Austria.

Classification

Geomorphology

The Eastern Alps are divided by deep river valleys that mostly run from east to west. These include the Inn, Salzach, Enns, Adige, Drava, and Mur valleys. Austrian and German mountaineers often divide these mountains into several smaller groups, grouped into four larger regions:

• Northern Limestone Alps
• Central Eastern Alps
• Southern Limestone Alps
• Western Limestone Alps

Tectonics

Main article: Geology of the Alps

The Alps are made up of four main layers of rock formations. These layers include rocks from different times long ago, such as the Cretaceous and Paleogene periods, and they are folded in many places. There are also layers made of sediments from an ancient ocean, and others made of crystalline rocks found in special areas like the Engadin window and the Hohe Tauern window. The Eastern Alps have their own system of rock layers, including limestone mountains, slate, and crystalline rocks. The southern part of the Alps has layers mainly from the Mesozoic and Paleozoic times, with fewer faults and folds pointing toward the south.

History

See also: History of Austria, History of Switzerland, History of Liechtenstein, and History of Slovenia

The ice age

See also: Ice age

During the Würm glaciation, the Eastern Alps were drier than the Western Alps, with the ice ending in the region of the Niedere Tauern in Austria. This allowed many species to survive the ice age in the Eastern Alps where they could not survive elsewhere. For this reason, many species of plants are special to the Eastern Alps.

Ancient history

The first signs of humans living in the area of present-day Liechtenstein can be dated back to the Middle Paleolithic era. Neolithic farming settlements appeared in the valleys around 5300 BCE.

A Bronze Age settlement at the site goes back as far as the Pfyn culture (3900–3500 BCE), making Chur one of the oldest settlements in Switzerland. In ancient times, the area of what is today Ticino was settled by the Lepontii, a Celtic tribe. Later, it became part of the Roman Empire.

In ancient times, the region had long been inhabited by the Celts before it became part of the ancient Roman provinces of Raetia and Noricum. There were two Celtic tribes settled in the future Vorarlberg area: the Raeti in the highlands, and the Vindelici in the lowlands, i.e. the Lake Constance region and the Rhine Valley prior to the Romans conquered Vorarlberg area.

Rome conquered the area of the future Municipality of Schellenberg in 15BCE.

Classical antiquity

Most of the lands of the region were once part of a Roman province called Raetia, which was established in 15 BCE. The current capital of Graubünden, Chur, was known as Curia in Roman times. The area was later part of the diocese of Chur. A Roman road crossed Liechtenstein from south to north, traversing the Alps by the Splügen Pass and following the right bank of the Rhine at the edge of the floodplain, for long uninhabited because of periodic flooding. Some Roman villas have been excavated in Schaanwald and Nendeln. Nearly 2,000 years later, some of the population of Graubünden still speak Romansh which has descended from Vulgar Latin.

By 259, tribes had overrun the Limes and caused widespread devastation of Roman cities and settlements in the Crisis of the Third Century. The Roman Empire succeeded in re-establishing the Rhine as the border, but it was now a frontier province. The late Roman influx from the north by also influenced the makeup of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Roman villas have been excavated in Schaanwald and Nendeln.

The area that Innsbruck is located in was probably inhabited in the early Stone Age. Several surviving pre-Roman place names exist in and about the city.

In the 4th century Chur also became the seat of the first Christian bishopric north to the Alps. Despite a legend assigning its foundation to a legendary British king, St Lucius, the first known bishop is one Asinio in AD 451.

Early history

In the 6th century the Slavs settled the area, and the local dioceses collapsed. This is shown in archaeological culture. A Slavic language group was established in the area. The Alpine Slavs, who are reckoned to be ancestors of present-day Slovenes, also settled in the easternmost mountainous areas of Friuli, known as the Friulian Slavia, as well in as the Karst Plateau and the area north and south of Gorizia. At this time, Chur was also conquered by the Franks. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Ticino was ruled by the Ostrogoths, the Lombards and the Franks.

The Alemanni or Alamanni, were a confederation of Germanic tribes on the Upper Rhine River. Eastern Switzerland, Vorarlberg and Liechtenstein was under the Alemanni and 73% of Liechtenstein's current population still speak the native Alemannic dialect of German at home as of 2022.

After the fall of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in 553, the Germanic tribe of the Lombards invaded Italy via the Tyrol and founded the Lombard Kingdom of Italy, which no longer included all of Tyrol, but only its southern part. The northern part of Tyrol came under the influence of the Bavarii, while the west was probably part of Alamannia.

Most of Tyrol came under the control of the Duchy of Bavaria (created c. 555) while the rest remained under the Lombards.

By the 590s AD, today's East Tyrol and Carinthia had come to be referred to in historical sources as Provincia Sclaborum (the Country of Slavs). The territory settled by Slavs, however, was also inhabited by remnants of the indigenous Romanised Celtic and Pannonian population, who preserved the Christian faith and helped convert the Slavs of Carantania.

From 623 to 658 Slavic peoples between the upper Elbe River and the Karawanks mountain range. They united under the leadership of King Samo (Kralj Samo). Carantania, (AKA: Carentania, Slovene: Karantanija, German: Karantanien, in Old Slavic *Korǫtanъ), was a former Alpine Slavic (Alpska Slovanščina)\proto-Slovenian principality that emerged from Samo's Empire in the second half of the 7th century, in the territory of present-day southern Austria and north-eastern Slovenia.

Carantania was absorbed into the Frankish Empire in 745.

The province of Lower Rhaetia was formed in 814.

The Frankish March of Carinthia, created within the Carolingian Empire in 889.

The city of Chur suffered several invasions: by the Magyars in 925–926, when the cathedral was destroyed, and by the Saracens (940 and 954), but afterwards it flourished thanks to its location, where the roads from several major Alpine transit routes come together and continue down the Rhine River. In 926 more Magyar raiders attacked the abbey and the nearby town of St Gallen.

The Lordship of Schellenberg was constituted in the 9th century by Charlemagne.

Medieval history

In the years 1007 and 1027 the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire granted the counties of Trento and Vinschgau to the Bishopric of Trent and the Bishopric of Brixen the County of Norital in 1027 and the Puster Valley in 1091 by the county of Milan and Como.

By about 1100 Ticino was the centre of struggle between the free communes of Milan and Como.

The upper Rhine River had been visited by traders since Roman times, but acquired greater importance under the Ottonian dynasty of the Holy Roman Empire. Emperor Otto I appointed his vassal Hartpert as bishop of Chur in 958 and awarded the bishopric numerous privileges. In 1170 the bishop became a prince-bishop and kept total control over the road between Chur and Chiavenna.

The first written evidence of a settlement at Innsbruck dates back to 1180 and the town named Oeni Pontum or Oeni Pons which is Latin for bridge (pons) over the Inn River (Flumen Oenus). It was built there some time earlier than its first recorded account, possibly even around Roman Veldidena in the 4th century, due to the important crossing point over the Inn River.^{[citation needed]} The Counts of Andechs first acquired the town in 1180 and then the town passed into the hands of the Counts of Tyrol in 1248

From upper Valais, the Walser began to spread south, west and east between the 12th and 13th centuries, in the so-called Walser migrations (Walserwanderungen). Nearly 1,500 years later the people of Triesenberg in Liechtenstein still speak a dialect of German that was influence of Walser migrants from the early in the 14th century.

In the 13th century Chur had some 1,300 inhabitants and was surrounded by a line of walls. In 1367 the foundation of the Three Leagues in the area was a first step towards Chur's autonomy: a burgmeister (mayor) is first mentioned in 1413, and the bishop's residence was attacked by the inhabitants. Chur was the chief town of the Gotteshausbund or Chadé (League of the House of God), and one of the regular meeting places of the assemblies of the Leagues. As the power of the bishops, now increasingly under the influence of the nearby Habsburg County of Tyrol, decreased, in 1464 the citizens wrote a constitution which was adopted as the rule for the peoples of the local guilds and political positions.

The medieval county of Vaduz was formed in 1342 as a small subdivision of the Werdenberg county of the dynasty of Montfort of Vorarlberg. (German: Grafschaft Vaduz) was a historic state of the Holy Roman Empire

In 1367 the League of God's House (Cadi, Gottes Haus, Ca' di Dio) was founded to resist the rising power of the Bishop of Chur. This was followed by the establishment of the Grey League (Grauer Bund), sometimes called Oberbund, in 1395 in the Upper Rhine valley.

In the 14th century it was acquired by the Visconti, Dukes of Milan. In the 15th century the Swiss Confederates conquered the valleys south of the Alps in three separate conquests.

The Lordship of Schellenberg was purchased by the Counts of Vaduz in 1437. Liechtenstein's borders have remained unchanged since 1434, when the Rhine was established as the border between the Holy Roman Empire and the newly formed Swiss cantons.

18th Century

The County of Vaduz (German: Grafschaft Vaduz) was a historic state of the Holy Roman Empire and Lordship of Schellenberg became the Principality of Liechtenstein in 1719.

Prince-Bishop Franz Karl, Count von Lodron (18 November 1748 – 10 August 1828) saw his temporal powers over of the prince-bishopric of Brixen rapidly diminish prior to the secularisation of Brixen and Trent in 1803.

19th century

When Graubünden became a Swiss canton in 1803, Chur was chosen as its capital. The lands of the Bishopric of Trent and Bishopric of Brixen were secularised and incorporated into the County of Tyrol.

Mt. Piz Bernina (4,049 m) was given its name in 1850 by Johann Coaz, who also made the first ascent.

The Brenner Railway was opened in 1867.

Modern history

Following World War I and the subsequent dissolution of Austria-Hungary, it was divided into two modern administrative parts through the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Lichtenstein also ended its customs union with Austro-Hungary in 1919.

Lichtenstein started its customs union with Switzerland in 1924.

The completion of the final portion of the FO railway occurred in 1926. It thus opened up the Cantons of Valais and Graubünden to further tourist development. This led to the introduction of Kurswagen (through coaches) between Brig and Chur, and between Brig and St. Moritz.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road (in German Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße) opened in 1935.

The Hitlerian Kehlsteinhaus was built on the Kehlstein mountain in 1938.

Between 1943 and April 1945, Axis Forces held Innsbruck, which experienced 22 air raids by the Allied Forces and suffered heavy damage during World War 2. Switzerland and Lichtenstein remained neutral in the war.

The Jenner mountain had its summit made accessible from Schönau by an cable car (Jennerbahn) since in 1953.

The Tauern Autobahn (A 10) opened in 1975 and was completed in 1988.

Triglav National Park was founded in 1981. It was originally set out in 1924 on a smaller scale and scrapped between 1944 and 1961.

Bad Reichenhall was awarded Alpine town of the Year in 2001.

In 2005, the Carinthia Statistical Region was established, which covers a larger area of about 1,041 km² (402 mi²), at the expense of Styria.

Economy

Tourism

Tourism in Graubünden is popular around towns like Davos/Arosa, Flims, and St. Moritz/Pontresina. Other places such as Bad Ragaz and St. Margrethen in St. Gallen also attract visitors. Innsbruck in Austria and Bovec in Slovenia are also important tourist spots.

Economy of Liechtenstein

Main article: Economy of Liechtenstein

Liechtenstein shares a customs union with Switzerland and uses the Swiss franc as its money. It is known for its industries such as electronics, textiles, precision instruments, and pharmaceuticals. Hilti is a well-known company there, making tools and construction equipment.

Agriculture in Graubünden

Only about 30% of Graubünden is good for farming, with forests covering much of the land. The area is very mountainous, with high valleys and several protected natural areas.

Agriculture St. Gallen

In St. Gallen, farming mainly focuses on dairy and cattle in the mountains, while fruits and wine are also produced. The area has a climate that changes with the seasons.

Industry in Carinthia

Austrian Carinthia and Slovene Carinthia have different climates and industries. Austrian Carinthia focuses on tourism, electronics, engineering, forestry, and farming, while Slovene Carinthia has a large steel mill and hydroelectric power.

I.T. and technology in Trento

Trento is famous for its university and technology industries.

Transport

Rail

The Brenner Railway, which opened in 1867, and the Lower Inn Valley Railway are important parts of a major railway line across the Alps called the Berlin-Palermo railway axis.

The final part of the FO railway was finished in 1926. This helped bring more visitors to the Cantons of Valais and Graubünden. It also started special train cars, called Kurswagen, that travel between Brig and Chur, and between Brig and St. Moritz.

Road

The Brenner Pass and the Katschberg Pass have been important paths through the Alps for a long time.

The Tauern Autobahn (A 10) is a motorway in Austria that goes from Salzburg to Villach in Carinthia, passing through the Tauern mountains. It opened in 1975 and was finished in 1988.

The Grossglockner High Alpine Road is the highest road for cars in Austria. It runs from Bruck in the state of Salzburg to Heiligenblut in the state of Carinthia, going through the Fuscher Törl and Hochtor Pass, which is 2,504 metres high. The road is named after Grossglockner, Austria's tallest mountain. It was built as a beautiful drive and also charges a fee. It opened in 1935.

The Austrian states of Tirol and Vorarlberg are connected by a road called the Silvretta Hochalpenstraße, which is 2,032 metres above sea level.^{[citation needed]}

The Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics took place in Innsbruck in the years (/wiki/1964_Winter_Olympics) and (/wiki/1976_Winter_Olympics). They were also held in Cortina for the (/wiki/1956_Winter_Olympics) and upcoming (/wiki/2026_Winter_Olympics) games.