Fischach

The Fischach is a 15-kilometre-long river in Salzburg’s Flachgau. It begins at the western end of Wallersee near Seekirchen, where it drains the lake at Fischtaging. The stream then flows southwest and later west, marking the borders between several municipalities. It passes Lengfelden and the village of Fischach in Bergheim before reaching the Salzach just south-west of Salzburg. The river’s history is shaped by floods that once spread across farmland near its mouth. In 1923 a local water association was formed to control the damage. After the devastating flood of 1954 destroyed bridges and fields, a full regulation scheme was agreed and completed in 1974. More recent floods in 1988, 1991, 2002 and 2005 led to further repairs. Today the Fischach runs through quiet meadows and small villages. Its banks are lined with willows and alders, and the Westbahn railway follows parts of its valley. Walkers can follow paths beside the water, watching dragonflies over the surface. The river’s name also lives on in local clubs, including a Perchtenverein and a Heimatverein in Hallwang.