Kössen is a municipality in the Kitzbühel district in the Austrian state of Tyrol located 24 km north of Kitzbühel as well as 15.50 km north of Sankt Johann in Tirol at the Kitzbühler Ache near the border to Germany.

Kössen
Coat of arms of Kössen
Kössen is located in Austria
Kössen
Kössen
Location within Austria
Coordinates: 47°40′N 12°24′E / 47.667°N 12.400°E / 47.667; 12.400
CountryAustria
StateTyrol
DistrictKitzbühel
Government
 • MayorStefan Mühlberger[1]
Area
 • Total
69.37 km2 (26.78 sq mi)
Elevation
588 m (1,929 ft)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[3]
 • Total
4,346
 • Density63/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC 1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC 2 (CEST)
Postal code
6345
Area code05375
Websitewww.koessen.tirol.gv.at

Geography

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Kössen is located in a broad basin between the Chiemgauer Alps in the north and the Kaiser Mountains in the south of the confluence of Großache river, the Kohlenbach and the Weißenbach.

Population

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Historical population
YearPop.±%
18691,765—    
18801,760−0.3%
18901,700−3.4%
19001,704 0.2%
19101,969 15.6%
19231,819−7.6%
19341,972 8.4%
19391,913−3.0%
19512,184 14.2%
19612,361 8.1%
19712,769 17.3%
19813,150 13.8%
19913,443 9.3%
20013,936 14.3%
20114,193 6.5%

Sights

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Maria Klobenstein is a pilgrimage church in the community Kössen in Tirol on the border with Bavaria (municipality Schleching).

Activities

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Kössen's topography lends itself to air sports in the summer months. The surrounding mountain massifs create great thermals, which are near-perfect for hang gliding and paragliding flights, whilst the valley-floor makes safe landing-grounds, as it is broad, flat and mostly meadow-land; furthermore, the winter ski-lifts allow equal access to the summits in their off-season, for the new market of air-sports adventurers.

In hang-gliding, Kössen was the inaugural location for both the World Championships, in 1976, and the European Championships, in 1977. The championships were soon coordinated to be run on alternate years, with a European venue on 'even' years and a global venue on 'odd' years. A new venue is chosen each year for both competitions, but it is a mark of the popularity of Kössen as an air-sports venue, that it is the sole centre, to date, that has been used as a return-venue for each competition, in 1980 and in 1985. Para-gliding is also well-established on the Unterberg.

Neighboring towns

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Aschau im Chiemgau, Kirchdorf in Tirol, Reit im Winkl, Schleching, Schwendt, Unterwössen, Waidring, Walchsee

References

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  1. ^ "Wissenswertes > Politik > Burgermeister" (in German). Kössen Official Site. Retrieved 19 December 2007.
  2. ^ "Dauersiedlungsraum der Gemeinden Politischen Bezirke und Bundesländer - Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 10 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Einwohnerzahl 1.1.2018 nach Gemeinden mit Status, Gebietsstand 1.1.2018". Statistics Austria. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
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