Reißeck
Encyclopedia
Reißeck is a municipality in the district of Spittal an der Drau
in Carinthia
in Austria
. Situated within the valley of the Möll River, a tributary to the Drava
, Reißeck consists of the four Katastralgemeinden Kolbnitz, Zandlach, Penk and Teuchl. The commune was established in 1973 and named after the northern Reißeck mountain (2,965m/9,727 ft), a part of the Hohe Tauern
range like the Kreuzeck Group
in the south.
railway lines leave from Kolbnitz. The first runs up the Reißeck mountain to an altitude of 2236m/7336 ft to walking trails and a hotel, the second leads to the mountain rail station of "Kreuzeck" at 1211m/3973 ft, which is the starting point for five different alpine walks with an altitude of up to 2498m/8195 ft.
. Archaeological artifacts found near the water well at the summit indicate the existence of a Celtic sacred grove and a Roman
temple. An Early Christian
church dedicated to prophet Daniel
was probably erected about 313.
After Bishop Modestus
had Christianized the area again in the 8th century, a new church was built at the summit in 1172. It was first mentioned as monte sancti Danielis in a 1252 deed at the occasion of Count Meinhard I of Gorizia-Tyrol
's unsuccessful campaign against Duke Bernhard von Spanheim
. The church was enlarged in 1515 and a steeple attached in 1750. Beneath the church is the Herkuleshof, now a hotel, erected in 1908.
in the Drava
valley to Obervellach
and the Tauern Rail Tunnel
. It also has access to the Tauernbahn railway line from Spittal an der Drau
to Schwarzach im Pongau
at the stations Kolbnitz and Penk.
s (Kraftwerk Kolbnitz and Kraftwerk Rottau) run by the Verbund
power company. The water is collected in several reservoir
s at the Reißeck and Kreuzeck mountains as well as in the northern Malta
valley and lead to the plant through five penstock
s with a maximum altitude difference of about 1772m/5815 ft. Seven (Kraftwerk Kolbnitz) resp. four (Kraftwerk Rottau) Pelton wheel
s, generating a maximum electric power
of 138 to 220 Megawatt
each, provide an overall annual electricity production of 1013 mio Kilowatt hours.
Spittal an der Drau (district)
The Bezirk Spittal an der Drau is an administrative district in Carinthia, Austria.Area of the district is 2,763.99 km², population is 81,719 , and population density 30 persons per km². It is Austria's second largest district by area...
in Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Situated within the valley of the Möll River, a tributary to the Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
, Reißeck consists of the four Katastralgemeinden Kolbnitz, Zandlach, Penk and Teuchl. The commune was established in 1973 and named after the northern Reißeck mountain (2,965m/9,727 ft), a part of the Hohe Tauern
Hohe Tauern
The Hohe Tauern or High Tauern are a mountain range on the main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern border of the Austrian state of Salzburg with Carinthia and East Tyrol, while a small part in the southwest belongs...
range like the Kreuzeck Group
Kreuzeck Group
The Kreuzeck Group is a mountain range in Carinthia, Austria, which forms part of the Central Eastern Alps. It may be considered a part of the Hohe Tauern....
in the south.
Kolbnitz
Kolbnitz is a village in Reißeck at the centre of the Mölltal valley, equidistant between the ski resorts of Ankogel / Mölltaler Glacier and Lake Millstat, often it is known as the 'Heart of Carinthia'. Facilities in Kolbnitz include a rafting centre, a riding centre, tennis courts, a small ski area and a swimming pool. Two funicularFunicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
railway lines leave from Kolbnitz. The first runs up the Reißeck mountain to an altitude of 2236m/7336 ft to walking trails and a hotel, the second leads to the mountain rail station of "Kreuzeck" at 1211m/3973 ft, which is the starting point for five different alpine walks with an altitude of up to 2498m/8195 ft.
Danielsberg
The cone shaped 966 m (3170 ft) Danielsberg west of Kolbnitz had been a settlement area since the days of the Stone AgeStone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. Archaeological artifacts found near the water well at the summit indicate the existence of a Celtic sacred grove and a Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
temple. An Early Christian
Early Christianity
Early Christianity is generally considered as Christianity before 325. The New Testament's Book of Acts and Epistle to the Galatians records that the first Christian community was centered in Jerusalem and its leaders included James, Peter and John....
church dedicated to prophet Daniel
Daniel
Daniel is the protagonist in the Book of Daniel of the Hebrew Bible. In the narrative, when Daniel was a young man, he was taken into Babylonian captivity where he was educated in Chaldean thought. However, he never converted to Neo-Babylonian ways...
was probably erected about 313.
After Bishop Modestus
Modestus (Apostle of Carinthia)
Modestus , called the Apostle of Carinthia, Apostle of Carantania, was most probably an Irish monk and the evangelizer of the Carantanians, an Alpine Slavic people in the south of present-day Austria and north-eastern Slovenia, which were among the ancestors of present-day Slovenes.Upon the request...
had Christianized the area again in the 8th century, a new church was built at the summit in 1172. It was first mentioned as monte sancti Danielis in a 1252 deed at the occasion of Count Meinhard I of Gorizia-Tyrol
Meinhard I of Gorizia-Tyrol
Meinhard I was Count of Gorizia from the House of Meinhardin was from 1231 and Count of Tyrol from 1253 until his death. He was the son of Count Engelbert III of Gorizia and Mathilda of Andechs, half-sister of Duke Berthold IV of Merania...
's unsuccessful campaign against Duke Bernhard von Spanheim
Bernhard von Spanheim
Bernhard von Spanheim was Duke of Carinthia for 54 years from 1202 until his death.-Family:...
. The church was enlarged in 1515 and a steeple attached in 1750. Beneath the church is the Herkuleshof, now a hotel, erected in 1908.
Transportation
Reißeck can be reached via the B106 Mölltal Straße highway from LurnfeldLurnfeld
Lurnfeld is a market town in the district of Spittal an der Drau in the Austrian state of Carinthia. The municipality consists of the two Katastralgemeinden Möllbrücke and Pusarnitz....
in the Drava
Drava
Drava or Drave is a river in southern Central Europe, a tributary of the Danube. It sources in Toblach/Dobbiaco, Italy, and flows east through East Tirol and Carinthia in Austria, into Slovenia , and then southeast, passing through Croatia and forming most of the border between Croatia and...
valley to Obervellach
Obervellach
Obervellach is a municipality in the district of Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia in Austria. It is situated in the valley of the Möll river, on the southern slope of the Hohe Tauern mountain range...
and the Tauern Rail Tunnel
Hohe Tauern
The Hohe Tauern or High Tauern are a mountain range on the main chain of the Central Eastern Alps, comprising the highest peaks east of the Brenner Pass. The crest forms the southern border of the Austrian state of Salzburg with Carinthia and East Tyrol, while a small part in the southwest belongs...
. It also has access to the Tauernbahn railway line from Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau
Spittal an der Drau is located in the western part of the Austrian federal state of Carinthia and the administrative centre of the federal state's second largest district, Spittal an der Drau. It lies between the Lurnfeld area and the Lower Drava Valley. The city consists of the seven...
to Schwarzach im Pongau
Schwarzach im Pongau
Schwarzach im Pongau is a market town in the St. Johann im Pongau district in the state of Salzburg in Austria.-Notable people:* Helmut Zobl ,* Kurt Leitner , retired footballer* Eva Linsinger , journalist...
at the stations Kolbnitz and Penk.
Infrastructure
Reißeck has two hydroelectric power plantHydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
s (Kraftwerk Kolbnitz and Kraftwerk Rottau) run by the Verbund
Verbund
Verbund AG, formerly known as Verbundgesellschaft or Österreichische Elektrizitätswirtschafts-AG, is Austria's largest electricity provider. Verbund covers around 40 percent of electricity demands in Austria and generates 90 percent thereof from Hydro power. In addition, Verbund operates the...
power company. The water is collected in several reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
s at the Reißeck and Kreuzeck mountains as well as in the northern Malta
Malta, Austria
Malta is a municipality in the Austrian state of Carinthia, in the district of Spittal an der Drau, west of the town of Gmünd. Situated within the Hohe Tauern mountain range, it covers most of the valley of the Malta river, a tributary of the Lieser. The municipality includes the Katastralgemeinden...
valley and lead to the plant through five penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
s with a maximum altitude difference of about 1772m/5815 ft. Seven (Kraftwerk Kolbnitz) resp. four (Kraftwerk Rottau) Pelton wheel
Pelton wheel
The Pelton wheel is an impulse turbine which is among the most efficient types of water turbines. It was invented by Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s. The Pelton wheel extracts energy from the impulse of moving water, as opposed to its weight like traditional overshot water wheel...
s, generating a maximum electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
of 138 to 220 Megawatt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
each, provide an overall annual electricity production of 1013 mio Kilowatt hours.