The Ammergau (also Ammertal) is a lower area between Ettal and Bad Kohlgrub on the Amper (or Ammer) river in Bavaria. It is near the border with Austrian Tyrol and maintains some cultural and geographical similarity. The nearby mountains are called the Ammergau Alps. It has the main municipal divisions of Unterammergau and Oberammergau (lower and upper Ammergau), with Oberammergau as the main town, and is a part of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen District. The name possibly derives from the nearby Amber Road (Amber = Ammer) or the word Ameri, meaning Swamp.