The Franconian Saale () is a 140 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 Franconian Saale flows through Bad Königshofen, Bad Neustadt, Bad Kissingen, Hammelburg and flows into the Main River in Gemünden am Main. Course Headwaters The 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 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. Course and mouth From the confluence of its headwaters, south-east of Bad Königshofen, the Franconian Saale flows in a broadly southwesterly direction along the southeastern edge of the Rhön Mountains. It passes through Bad Neustadt, Bad Bocklet, Bad Kissingen, Hammelburg and Gräfendorf to Gemünden, where it joins the River Main from the northeast. Catchment area The water catchment area of the Franconian Saale is 2,765 km2. Its kilometrage is measured from its confluence with the Main (0.00 km on the Saale, 211.0 km on the Main) to its more distant source at Alsleben (135.0 km). Name The Franconian Saale is mentioned for the first time in the year 777 under the names Salu and Sala in a register from the town of Fulda. These terms both have the general meaning of "flowing