Austria–Germany border


The border between the modern states of Austria and Germany has a length of, or respectively. It is the longest international border of Austria and the tied longest border of Germany with another country.

Course

Within its western part, the border runs roughly from east to west, but from a point south of Salzburg to its eastern end, located at the tripoint of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, it runs in a mainly northeastward direction. The western end is located at the border tripoint of Germany, Austria and Switzerland within the Obersee part of Lake Constance, although the exact course of the international borders within Lake Constance have never been defined. The border is long, but a straight line between the endpoints is long.
Jungholz and Kleinwalsertal are two Austrian pene-exclaves; they can only be reached by road through German territory.
Besides Lake Constance, the border does not pass through any significant lake, but it follows the Danube, Inn and Salzach rivers along the eastern part and the Leiblach in its western part. Otherwise, the border follows the western part of the Northern Limestone Alps, although a few valleys cross the border, too.
The Austrian states of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria run along the international border, as does the German state of Bavaria.

Tripoints

The eastern tripoint between the countries of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic is located at, near the villages of Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald and Bayerischer Plöckenstein. The western tripoint is located between Germany, Austria and Switzerland, at approximately, in the eastern part of Upper Lake Constance.

International bodies of water

Lakes

  • Eibelesee
  • Lake Constance
  • Rannasee
  • Taubensee
  • Wöhrsee

    Rivers and creeks

  • Aschauer
  • Augustinergraben
  • Bächteletobel
  • Baumgartenbach
  • Bayrachbach
  • Berchtesgadener Ache
  • Berndlgraben
  • Bolgenach
  • Breitach
  • Bächgraben
  • Bärnbach
  • Bürgerbach
  • Danube
  • Dandlbach
  • Doserbach
  • Dürrach
  • Eibelebach
  • Eibkendlbach
  • Enzenbach
  • Eyenbach
  • Fermersbach
  • Finsterbach
  • Fischbach
  • Fischbach
  • Fugenbach
  • Gatterlbach
  • Großache
  • Hagenbach
  • Hirschbichlklausgraben
  • Holderbach
  • Hörnlebach
  • Hühnersbach
  • Inn
  • Isar
  • Kälbergernbach
  • Kesselbach
  • Kieferbach
  • Kleiner Bach
  • Kräutergrabenbach
  • Köhlerbach
  • Laublisbach
  • Lappbach
  • Lech
  • Lecknerbach
  • Leiblach
  • Leutasch
  • Lenzengraben
  • Littenbach
  • Lofer
  • Loisach
  • Markgraben
  • Maxenbach
  • Mosertalbach
  • Mühlbach
  • Naidernach
  • Neualmbach
  • Neuhäuslgraben
  • Pittenbach
  • Polusbach
  • Reichenauer Graben
  • Reichenbach
  • Rickenbach
  • Riedbach
  • Rißbach
  • Roggentalbach
  • Rohrmoosbach
  • Rothach
  • Roßkarbach
  • Saalach
  • Salzach with several bridges, e.g. Oberndorf-Laufen
  • Sandbach
  • Schaffitzerbach
  • Schanztobel
  • Scheidbach
  • Schellenbach
  • Schlafblassenbach
  • Schlawitzabach
  • Schwarzenbach
  • Schönbach
  • Seebach
  • Steinbach
  • Stöcklbach
  • Tiefengraben
  • Totermannbach
  • Unkenbach
  • Valepp
  • Vils
  • Walchen
  • Weißach
  • Weißbach
  • Wertach
  • Zimmerholsbach
  • Äuelebach

    International bridges

  • Alte Innbrücke, Schärding - Neuhaus
  • Kräutelstein
  • Saalachbrücke Salzburg-Freilassing

    International mountain ranges

  • Alps
  • Alpine foothills

    International mountains

  • Ammer Saddle
  • Dürrnberg
  • Fellhorn
  • Kranzhorn
  • Untersberg
  • Zugspitze

    Settlements near the border

  • Freilassing / Salzburg
  • Großgmain
  • Kufstein / Oberaudorf
  • Oberau
  • Waidring
  • Walserberg

    International traffic

Road

  • Inn Valley Autobahn
  • Schrofen Pass
  • Steinpass
  • Ursprung Pass

    Rail

  • Ausserfern Railway
  • Mittenwald Railway
  • Rosenheim–Kufstein railway
  • Rosenheim–Salzburg railway
  • Vorarlberg Railway
  • Wels–Passau railway

    History

The border was confirmed in a treaty between the countries in 1972, after having been defined by a number of agreements, likewise with preceding conflicts, between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Bavaria in the 19th century. In 1938 the countries merged through the Anschluss. This was reverted in 1955 by the Austrian State Treaty, which re-established Austria as a sovereign state. The Schengen Area removed border controls at the border in 1997. Temporary border controls were reinstalled in 2015 in response to the European migrant crisis. These temporary border controls were scheduled to be removed on 12 May 2020, although they are liable to be extended in six-month periods.