Lammer

The Lammer is a river in Salzburg, Austria, flowing west from the Tennen Mountains to meet the Salzach at Golling an der Salzach. It is about forty-one kilometres long and joins the Salzach as a right tributary. The water stays exceptionally clean along its course. Wild water sportsmen travel here for the river’s reputation. Inside the box canyon the channel tightens and the current turns to class IV-IV+ whitewater. Historians trace the name back to 1124, when it appeared as Lamara. The word is thought to mean ‘river that flows through the gorge’. The gorge itself is a narrow, steep-walled cleft cut by centuries of erosion. The walls rise tens of metres above the water, shading the stream below. The contrast between the dark rock and the bright water draws photographers and geologists. Visitors walk a riverside path that follows the gorge for several kilometres. The route stays close to the water, offering views upstream toward the rapids. Benches are placed where the current widens and slows. Anglers stand along the calmer sections hoping for trout. In summer the gorge catches the morning sun while the valley remains cool, making it a quiet place to stand and watch the river work its way through the rock.