BAVARIA & INNVIERTEL
Across from where the Rott flows into the Inn stands the Kurhaus in Schärding: Many an imposing building was constructed on the banks of the Inn.
LAND OF CULTURE On The Inn
The Inn- a river that also lends its name to one of the four quarters of Upper Austria. But at the confluence of the Salzach with the Inn, it separates the Austrians from the Bavarians, though also unites them- on the near and far sides of the river, the people feel like neighbors.
Where bridges cross the current of this mighty river, on both banks there are old towns that have been shaped by shipping since time immemorial. Schärding, Braunau, Obernberg, Simbach are all trading centers with centuries-old histories. Also Burghausen and Tittmonig, both on the River Salzach, but also border towns between Bavaria and the Innviertel, attest to a prosperous past. Whether in the center of towns or small market communities, such as Obernberg am Inn in the Ried district, everywhere you will see squares and streets that hint at a prosperous citizenry, including houses of the Baroque that are especially worth seeing. The pockets of Schärding’ s affluent citizens, craftsmen and merchants wants clinked with the sound of silverling coins, to which the magnificent town square also owes its name as the“ Silberzeile”. A southern flavor – thanks to the colorfully painted building facades, often decorated with stucco – tightly pressed one against the other to form an enclosed square or a row of houses, can also be found in Obernberg, in Braunau or – deeper into the region – in Ried. Guarded by its daunting, elevated fortified castle, the town of Burghausen lies below in the river valley.
The Inn is a river of civilization, of cultural life, but for broad stretches and virtually countless small segments, it has remained a natural jewel, where the passage of time has seemingly left no traces. By or on the river – the Inn offers a rich array of experiences – hiking, cycling, or perhaps sailing on one of the historical barges or a cruise ship, such as the“ MS Schärding” or the“ Salzfürstenschiff”. Undoubtedly, pedestrians come closest to nature, with a broad network of paths leading across dams and riparian woodlands in the Unterer Inn nature & bird sanctuary, which begins at the mouth of the Salzach and extends as far as Neuhaus bei Schärding, close to where the river flows into the Danube. In this designated Ramsar area – meeting criteria set forth in the International Convention for Nature Preservation of Wetland Areas – are four Inn reservoirs. On a length of around 55 km, you find a habitat and breeding area for around 300 bird species, making this wetland and river area one of the most species-rich landscapes for water birds. In this area, the Inn shows us its gentler, quieter side, even if the river, on the some 450 kilometers from its headwaters to here, is otherwise a wild body of water with swift currents.