Leitha Mountains

The Leitha Mountains (German: Leithagebirge; Hungarian: Lajta-hegység) are a range of low mountains in Austria lying on the boundary between Lower Austria and Burgenland.

The range is an offshoot of the Alps and forms a connection to the Carpathians to the north. It is a ridge about 35 km long and 5–7 km wide along the southeastern edge of the Vienna Basin from Brucker Pforte in the northeast to Wiener Neustädter Pforte (Ödenburger Pforte) in the southwest. The range lies to the southeast of the Leitha River and is considered part of the Randgebirge östlich der Mur division of the Eastern Alps. The highest peak, Sonnenberg (Hungarian: Nap-hegy), is 484 m above sea level.

The ridge is heavily forested with deciduous trees such as oak, hornbeam, and beech predominating.

Leitha

The Leitha (German: Leitha; Hungarian: Lajta, Lajtha, formerly Sár(-víz); Czech and Slovak: Litava) is a river in Austria and Hungary, a right tributary of the Danube.

Etymology

The Lithaha River in the Carolingian Avar March was first mentioned in an 833 deed issued by Louis the German, son of the Carolingian emperor Louis the Pious and ruler over the stem duchy of Bavaria. The Old High German name lît probably referred to a Pannonian (Illyrian) denotation for "mud", as maintained in the former Hungarian name Sár (cf. mocsár: swamp).

Course

The Leitha rises in Lower Austria at the confluence of its headstream Schwarza, discharging the Schneeberg, Rax and Schneealpe ranges of the Northern Limestone Alps, with Pitten Creek. Between Ebenfurth and Leithaprodersdorf, and between Bruck an der Leitha and Gattendorf, the Leitha forms part of the border between the Austrian states of Lower Austria and Burgenland. East of Nickelsdorf, the river passes into modern Hungary, where it flows into the Moson arm of the Danube west of Szigetköz Island near Mosonmagyaróvár. Important towns on its course are Wiener Neustadt, Bruck and Mosonmagyaróvár.

Leitha (disambiguation)

Leitha may refer to:

See also