The Lower TauernBourne, Grant and Körner-Bourne, Sabine (2007). Walking in the Bavarian Alps, 2nd ed., Cicerone, Milnthorpe, p. 303. .Jeep, John M. Medieval Germany: An Encyclopedia, New York and London: Garland, 2001, p. 716.The New Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol. 1, 2003, p. 86. or Niedere Tauern are a mountain range of the Central Eastern Alps, in the Austrian states of Salzburg and Styria.
For the etymology of the name, see Tauern.
Geography The range forms a part of the main chain of the Alps. The highest peak of the Lower Tauern is the Hochgolling, part of the Schladming Tauern, at 2,863 m (9,393 ft).
Important mountain pass roads include Radstädter Tauern Pass (), Sölk Pass (), and Triebener Tauern Pass (). The range is also crossed by the Tauern Autobahn (A10) through the Tauern Road Tunnel.
Borders In the west and south the Murtörl mountain pass and the River Mur separate them from the Hohe Tauern mountain range, while in the east and north the River Enns and the Schober Pass marks the border to the Northern Limestone Alps.
Alpine Club classification According to the Alpine Club classification of the Eastern Alps, the Lower Tauern may be divided into four subgroups (from west to east): Radstadt Tauern (45a) Schladming Tauern (45b) Rottenmann and Wölz Tauern (45c) Seckau Tauern (45d).
The four groups listed above (the Radstadt Tauern, Schladming Tauern, Rottenmann and Wölz Tauern and Seckau Alps) are considered Alpine subsections.
Notable summits
Some notable summits of the range are:
Nameelevation (m)subsectionHochgolling2,862Schladming TauernWeißeck2,711Radstadt TauernMosermandl2,680Radstadt TauernHochfeind2,687Radstadt TauernGroßes Gurpitscheck2,526Schladming TauernHundstein2,614Schladming TauernHochwildstelle2,747Schladming TauernRoteck2,742Schladming TauernGroßer Knallstein2,599Schladming TauernRettlkirchspitze2,475Rottenmann and Wölz TauernGroßer Bösenstein2,425Rottenmann and Wölz TauernGeierhaupt2,417Seckau TauernHochreichhart2,416Seckau TauernSeckauer Zinken2,389Seckau TauernMaierangerkogel2,356Seckau Tauern
Geology and environment The Lower Tauern mark the approximate eastern limit of the continuous ice sheet in the Alps during the Würm glaciation. Eastern parts of the group were therefore unglaciated, and served as an important refugium for silicicolous plants.
Winter sports A number of skiing resorts are situated in the Lower Tauern, including Obertauern and Schladming.
References
External links
Tauern Tunnel - Price and Tips Updated 2015