The Salt Trade Route begins in Stammham, at the confluence of the Inn and Salzach rivers. There is also the Inn Cycle Path, the Catholic parish church of St. Lawrence and natural areas along the Lower Inn. These features give Stammham a distinct character shaped by architectural history, cycling and landscape.
St. Lawrence: a building history spanning several phases
The Catholic parish church of St. Lawrence is a listed monument. The single-nave church, built of tuff stone, dates from the late 15th century and was given a Baroque makeover at the end of the 17th century. It has furnishings. The building thus tells the story of both its origins in the late Middle Ages and a later change in style.
The history also reaches back beneath the church: finds from the late Middle Ages and early modern period have been documented in its vicinity. The church is used for parish services; a parish service is scheduled. If a service time is important to your travel plans, check the latest announcement, as times and dates may change.
Comparing the Salt Trade Route and the Inn Cycle Path
The Salt Trade Route starts in Stammham at the confluence of the Inn and Salzach rivers. It follows the former salt-trading route of Passau–Burghausen–Tittmoning–Laufen–Bad Reichenhall–Hallein. Along the way, it passes through villages, fields and forests in the Alpine foothills and by historic towns on the Salzach. This route therefore focuses on the connection between trade history and landscape.
The Inn Cycle Path has a different focus. It runs from Marktl via Stammham and Seibersdorf to Bergham; it also passes through Stammham. The section within the Lower Inn European Nature Reserve is designated as a nature experience trail. Stammham is also a junction for several well-developed cycle routes. The different reference points help with orientation: the Salt Trade Route follows a historic trading line, while the Inn Cycle Path follows the Inn and the nature experience trail through the protected area.
Nature along the Lower Inn
Stammham is the starting point of the important “Lower Inn European Nature Reserve” bird sanctuary. The EU bird protection area “Salzach and Inn” includes islands, areas in front of the dikes, siltation zones and alluvial forests along the Lower Inn. Its section extends to the Stammham barrage. These habitats give the nature theme its own diversity, from river islands and riverbanks to wetlands and alluvial forests.
Nearby, before Stammham, a section of the Lindenallee along the former B20 road is designated as a natural monument. The avenue adds another element of the cultural landscape to the themes of the river and protected area. This means that the surrounding area includes not only cycling routes and waterways, but also a designated tree-lined avenue.
The wider setting: Altötting
Within the wider travel destination of Altötting, the district of Altötting lies along the Inn and Salzach. Its landscape is shaped by a plain about 10 kilometres wide, through which the Inn flows and which is bordered to the north and south by green, rolling hills. Together with the district of Mühldorf, Altötting belongs to the Inn-Salzach tourism region. Visitor information for the region includes cycling and pilgrimage routes, museums and swimming lakes.
For travel planning, the different scales can be distinguished as follows: in Stammham, the focus is on St. Lawrence, the two cycling routes described here and nature along the Lower Inn. Altötting refers to the wider regional setting, with its own landscape and visitor attractions. This lets you decide whether to plan your trip primarily around local history, cycling or nature.
For the wider travel overview: Marktl.
