Middle Mur valley
| Middle Mur valley | ||
|---|---|---|
 View from Jungfernsprung to the Mur breakthrough near Raach , on the right the Kanzelkogel |
||
| location | Styria , Austria | |
| Waters | Mur | |
| Mountains | Styrian Randgebirge , Grazer Bergland | |
| Geographical location | 47 ° 16 ' N , 15 ° 19' E | |
|
||
| height | 470 to 365 m above sea level A. | |
| length | 48 km | |
| climate | Transitional climate between the inner Alpine region and the south-eastern Alpine foothills | |
| flora | collinous mixed deciduous forest | |
| use | Settlement and transport infrastructure, hydropower | |
The section of the Mur valley that extends from the Mur-Mürz-Furche near Bruck an der Mur in a southerly direction to the Styrian capital of Graz is called the Middle Murtal . The Mur breaks through the geological units of the Styrian peripheral mountains and the Graz mountainous region and forms a characteristic landscape.
course
The Middle Murtal extends from the district town of Bruck an der Mur to Graz and, with a length of 48 km, forms one of the longest north-south valleys in Austria. The first section between Bruck and Pernegg is a narrow breakthrough valley that separates the Gleinalpe in the west from the Fischbach Alps in the east. Thereafter, the Mur divides the Graz mountainous region into two orographic units and describes a prominent knee near Frohnleiten . After two further bottlenecks, the river flows through the Gratkorner Basin on a wider valley floor . After a fourth and final breakthrough, the valley in the urban area of Graz flows into the wide field of Graz .
The most important secondary valleys are the Breitenauer Tal , Tyrnauer Graben and Rötschgraben on the left, as well as Gamsgraben , Übelbachtal , Stübingtal and the Schirning on the right of the Mur.
Geology and geomorphology
The Mur paved its way along tectonic fault lines through the foothills and cut deep into the rock. This epigenetic breakthrough manifests itself in a characteristic structure with several valley chambers separated from each other by valley gaps. Of these, the Gratkorner Basin takes the rank of an independent part of the landscape.
While the Gleinalpe and Fischbacher Alps are made up of crystalline gneisses , downstream from Pernegg the Grazer Palaeozoic dominates with various wall-forming limestone and dolomites . The carbonate rocks of Röthelstein , Tanneben and Kugelstein , especially the Schöcklkalk , show considerable karstification and, in the course of the gradual deepening of the Mur, enabled the creation of more or less extensive cave systems. Above all the Lurgrotte , one of the largest stalactite caves in Austria, and the archaeologically important Dragon Cave near Mixnitz enjoy international fame. The valley filling consists of fluvio-glacial sediments , the thickness of which can be several tens of meters.
climate
Together with its side valleys, the Middle Murtal represents an independent climatic region within the peripheral mountain range. Due to the pressure and temperature differences between the inner alpine area and the south-eastern foothills of the Alps , the climate fulfills a compensatory function, which is expressed above all in the extensive ventilation. In particular, the Murtalauswind and the northern foehn shape the climate, at the bottlenecks there can be jet effects . This results in a thermal benefit with few frost and fog days as well as a low risk of inversion , which fruit growers in the Frohnleiten area take advantage of. There the annual mean temperature is between 8.7 and 9.1 ° C. The precipitation conditions are similar to those in Graz and ensure winters with little snow and relatively thunderstorm summers.
colonization
The earliest evidence of human settlement in Styria comes from the Middle Mur Valley. Paleolithic finds of stone blades and hand axes from the Dragon Cave near Mixnitz are the oldest relics and were estimated to be 100,000 years old. Other archaeological sites of stone and bronze age relics are the Repolust cave and the Badl cave near Peggau. On the right bank of the Mur, traces of settlement on the Kugelstein from the Latène and Roman times also testify to earlier settlement. Today around 30,000 people live in the Middle Mur Valley. The valley comprises a total of eight municipalities with a good 30 built-up areas:
- Bruck an der Mur : Einöd, Übelstein
- Pernegg an der Mur : Zlatten, Kirchdorf, Pernegg, Traföss, Mautstatt, Mixnitz
- Frohnleiten : Röthelstein , Laufnitzdorf, Peugen, Rothleiten, Maria Ebenort, Wannersdorf , Frohnleiten, Schönau, Brunnhof, Adriach , Ungersdorf, Schrauding, Badl
- Peggau : Peggau, Friesach
- Deutschfeistritz : Deutschfeistritz, Königgraben, Kleinstübing
- Gratkorn : Unterfriesach, church district
- Gratwein-Straßengel : Gratwein , Hundsdorf, Rötz, Straßengel, Judendorf
- Graz : Raach
Economy and Infrastructure
The Middle Mur Valley is an important traffic area and contains a section of the Austrian Southern Railway . However, the total of seven stations are of no national importance and only S-Bahn trains stop . A hub of local relevance is the Peggau-Deutschfeistritz train station, from where the 10 km long Peggau-Übelbach railway branches off. The Breitenauerbahn , which begins in Mixnitz , is now used almost exclusively for freight traffic . While the Pyhrn Autobahn (A 9) , which connects the Middle Mur Valley with Upper Styria , runs through the southern section and the Übelbachtal , the northern section is accessed via the Bruck Expressway (S 35) . In addition, the Grazer Bundesstraße (B 67) crosses the valley between Peggau and Graz.
A few larger companies have settled along the traffic axis. The most important employers are Mayr-Melnhof Karton in Frohnleiten, the Sappi paper mill in Gratkorn and the Wietersdorfer & Peggauer cement works in Peggau. In addition to industry and mining, energy and water management are very important. The Mur is dammed nine times on its course between Bruck and Graz. But the seven, built from 1925 to 1998, run power stations of the composite together produce an annual average of 561 GWh of electricity.
The drinking water pipeline of the central water supply Hochschwab Süd (ZWHS) runs through the valley , to which the communities of Pernegg and Frohnleiten are connected via transfer stations. In the Friesach waterworks, the transfer to the Graz pipeline network takes place. There, a horizontal filter well in the Quaternary gravel body pumps groundwater and thus also contributes to the water supply for the Styrian capital. In addition, in the past karst water into the groundwater aquifer fed.
tourism
Some of the most popular sights in the immediate vicinity of Graz are located in the Middle Mur Valley. Natural attractions are the Bärenschützklamm near Mixnitz or the Lurgrotte near Peggau. Other attractions are the Stübing open-air museum , the Maria Straßengel pilgrimage church and the picturesque old town of Frohnleiten . The castle ruin of Gösting with the legendary Jungfernsprung viewpoint towers above the last breakthrough valley near Raach . A few kilometers away from the main traffic route, the Rein Abbey or the Kesselfall can also be visited. There are also numerous hiking trails, including the Grazer Umland-Weg , and climbing routes, the latter on the Röthelstein or above the Badlwandgalerie .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Measurement in Google Earth along the Mur.
- ↑ a b Gerhard Karl Lieb: Landscape structure of Styria - T.8 Middle Mur Valley. State of Styria , accessed on November 6, 2017 .
- ↑ a b Helmut wing : The geology of the Grazer Bergland. In: Communications from the Department of Geology, Paleontology and Mining at the Landesmuseum Joanneum , Graz 1975. Online PDF , accessed on December 24, 2019.
- ↑ Climatic region of Mur breakthrough valley. State of Styria , accessed on November 7, 2017 .
- ^ Gunnar Strunz: Styria: The green heart of Austria . Trescher Verlag , Berlin, 2nd edition 2011, ISBN 978-3-89794-182-3 , p. 290
- ↑ The Mur. Verbund AG , accessed on November 7, 2017 .
- ↑ Supply systems Thörl / St.Ilgen - Graz. (No longer available online.) ZWHS, archived from the original on July 20, 2017 ; accessed on November 8, 2017 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ wing, p. 232.
