| Saalbach-Hinterglemm | |
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Saalbach-Hinterglemm
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| Country | Austria |
| State | Salzburg |
| District | Zell am See |
| Mayor | Peter Mitterer (ÖVP) |
| Area | 125.46 km2 (48 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,003 m (3291 ft) |
| Population | 2,871 (1 January 2011)[1] |
| - Density | 23 /km2 (59 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | ZE |
| Postal code | 5753 |
| Area code | 06541 |
| Website | www.saalbach.or.at |
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is a municipality in the district of Zell am See (Pinzgau region), in the Austrian state of Salzburg. It is well-known for its skiing and other winter sports. A three piste network consisting of Saalbach, Hinterglemm and Leogang is located in the municipality.
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Saalbach-Hinterglemm is located in the Pinzgau region, in the Saalbach Valley, which is oriented east-west. The region is a part of the Kitzbüheler Alpen. The highest point is Spielberghorn (2,044 m) in the north and Hochkogel (2,249 m) in the south.
The nearest large city is Zell am See, located about 20 km away. The municipality consists of two small towns: Saalbach and Hinterglemm, which each make up several Katastralgemeinden.
The oldest evidence of settlements in the municipality stems from 1222. The name Salpach first showed up in 1350. Before 1410 there was a church in the town. In 1489 archbishop Johann Beckensloer gave the town market rights.
In spite of this, Saalbach remained, for the most part, a poor agrarian community up into the 20th century. A lasting increase in prosperity did not occur until after World War I, but started primarily after the tourists began arriving in 1945.
In 1987 Saalbach’s name was changed to Saalbach-Hinterglemm.
Alpine Ski World Championships 1991
From the 22nd of January to February 1991 the Alpine Ski World Championships took place in Saalbach Hinterglemm. It was the biggest international event ever seen by the region with excellent weather conditions helping to make the event a huge success.
It has also been the venue for the British University Snowsports Championships (BUSC) and the British Royal Air Force championships on several occasions with great success.
The municipality’s coat of arms is described as A red shield with two diagonally-crossed golden skis. They are accompanied by a silver snowflake above them and three silver balls resting on top of each other at the bottom. On top of all this is an undulating silver bar.
The town of Saalbach is primarily orientated towards tourism, without which it could arguably not survive. Most of the inhabitants' jobs are either directly or indirectly dependent on this industry.
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Saalbach is one of Austria's premier ski resorts, offering a wide range of runs, extensive off piste, and an excellent snow record. Skiing can be found on both sides of the valley. The runs on the north side of the valley (south-facing side) tend to be preferred by visitors due to their sunny weather. The pistes on the south side of the valley (north-facing side) are normally in the shade, so have better snow cover, particularly in late season, as well as more trees. Much of the off piste skiing is found on the north side, where thigh-deep, untouched powder can be found only metres from many of the pistes. There is a small snowpark in Hinterglemm, but experienced snowboarders and skiers prefer to head to the snowpark in the adjacent valley in Leogang, which boasts superior kickers, as well as rails and jibs. Saalbach-Hinterglemm also features 6 and 8-man chairlifts with heated seats and retractable covers for use in bad weather.