Gmünd, Carinthia 2.09

Gmünd in Kärnten is a historic town in the district of Spittal an der Drau, in the Austrian state of Carinthia.GeographyThe municipality is situated on the southeastern rim of the Ankogel Group of the Hohe Tauern range, part of the Central Eastern Alps. The old town lies within the valley of the Lieser river, a left tributary of the Drava. In the west the Malta Valley leads up to the Kölnbrein Dam. In the east, Gmünd borders on Krems within the Gurktal Alps.The municipal area is subdivided into three cadastral communities: Gmünd, Kreuschlach and Landfrass. There are the following constituent villages (2001 pop. in parentheses):Gmünd has access to the Tauern Autobahn (A 10) from Salzburg to Villach. The nearest train station is on the Tauern Railway line in Spittal an der Drau.HistoryAt the site of a former a mansio on the Roman road leading from the Drava valley via Katschberg Pass to Iuvavum (Salzburg), the town of Gmünd was probably founded by Archbishop Eberhard II of Salzburg, as it was first documented in a 1252 deed. It was laid out as a southern outpost of the archbishopric within the Duchy of Carinthia, a market was mentioned in 1273 and Gmünd received town privileges in 1346.