Lower Austria almost became deserted due to centuries of fights against Eastern
riding tribes (the Magyars were last) and was populated permanently by German
colonists (mainly Bavarian) only during the 10th century. In the inner Alpine
region there´s no population continuity, while the Alpine foothills were settled
since the Roman period (Cetium = St.Pölten). Most cities had been founded later
by the sovereigns, partly with the function of a fortress, as traffic
junctions or mining centers. They are market towns and situated at the foothill
of a castle, along a river.