Gurktal Alps
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| Gurktal Alps | |
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Salzburg | |
| Range coordinates | 46°57′N 13°56′E / 46.950°N 13.933°E |
| Parent range | Central Eastern Alps Carinthian-Styrian Alps (Noric Alps) |
The Gurktal Alps (German: Gurktaler Alpen, Slovene: Krške Alpe) is a mountain range in the Central Eastern Alps in Austria which is named after the valley of the Gurk river. The range stretches west to Lake Millstatt and east to Neumarkter Sattel (north-northwest of Neumarkt in Steiermark). The highest peak is Eisenhut at 2,441m (8,009 ft).
Geography
Location
The range is located between the
Subdivisions
The Gurktal Alps can be divided into five subgroups:
- The Flattnitzer Höhe. Their highest peak is the Eisenhut(2,441 m).
- The Metnitz Mountains lie between the Mur and Metnitz valleys. Their highest peak is the Goldachnock (2,171 m).
- The Mödring Chain lies between the Metnitz and Gurktal valleys. The highest peak is the Dorferecken (1,726 m)
- The Wimitz Mountains lie between the Gurk and Glanvalleys through which flows the Wimitz river. Their highest peaks are the Schneebauerberg and the Hocheck (both 1,338 m)
At the southern end of the Gurktal Alps is the Klagenfurt Basin. Here there are seven smaller mountain chains:
- Magdalensberg (Lippekogel, 1,079 m)
- Ossiach Tauern (Taubenbühel 1,069 m)
- Glantal Highlands (Ulrichsberg, 1,022 m)
- Sattnitz (Tanzboden, 929 m)
- Feldkirchen-Moosburg Upland (Freudenberg, 817 m)
- St. Veit Upland (Buchberg, 808 m)
- Maria Saal Upland (Maria Saaler Berg, 746 m)
The Gurktal Alps are, along with the Lavanttal Alps to the east, sometimes classified as part of the Noric Alps. However, this term is not geologically justified.[1]
Peaks
The highest peaks are located within the
Other peaks include:
- Großer Rosennock, 2,440 m (8,010 ft)
- Hohe Pressing, 2,370 m (7,780 ft)
- Rinsennock, 2,334 m (7,657 ft)
Geology
The Gurktal Alps consist mainly of three tectonic plates: at the bottom, the "mica schist plate", in the middle the "Murau plate", and the "Stolzalpen plate" at the top.
The lowest plate is made of mica schist, the middle plate is made of greenstone slates, phyllite, and marble. The top plate, the Stolzalpen plate, consisted of slates of originally similar age, but which have been transformed and now appear with clay slates, volcanic rocks, and limestone.
Economy and tourism
The landscape has numerous mountain pastures and was the site of
The Nock Mountain region is well known for its spas. The Karlbad along the Nockalmstraße is the oldest farmers' healing spring in Austria.[citation needed] The method of creating the baths (with spring water and hot rocks) has remained unchanged since the 17th century.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Norische Alpen in Austria-Forum (in German) (at AEIOU)
- Gurktal Alps / Nockberge – summitpost.org
Mountain ranges of the Central Eastern Alps according to the AVE | ||
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