Franconian Saale

The Franconian Saale is a 125 km long river in Bavaria, Germany. It is a right-bank tributary of the Main, in Lower Franconia. It should not be confused with the larger Saxon Saale, which is a tributary of the Elbe River.The Fränkische Saale flows through Bad Königshofen, Bad Neustadt, Bad Kissingen, Hammelburg and flows into the Main River in Gemünden am Main.CourseHeadwatersThe Franconian Saale begins in the region of Grabfeld east and southeast of Bad Königshofen at the confluence of two headstreams:The Saalbrunnen, its northern headstream, rises at the so-called "Source of the Franconian Saale" (Fränkische Saale Quelle), 1.7 km east of Alsleben (a district of Trappstadt) on the road to Gompertshausen below the 390 metre high Kapellenberg at a height of 313 metres above sea level (NN). The first enclosed wellspring was made of sandstone in the 1940s, it was redesigned in 1973, but its present appearance dates to 1985. Since 1987, it has had a bronze plaque by the artist, Erich Husemann, affixed to it, explaining the significance of the Franconian Saale.The Salzloch, the southern headstream of the Franconian Saale, rises a few miles to the south near the mill of Heckenmühle at the "Source of the Saale" (Saale Quelle), which is found near Obereßfeld (part of the municipality of Sulzdorf an der Lederhecke). It is also known as the Saalegraben und Dagigbach and its confluence with the northern stream is near Bad Königshofen-Untereßfeld. The names of the two headstream sources indicate that they both claim to be the source of the Franconian Saale itself. A possible third source is Brennhausen.