Wipptal#

Wipptal Valley, Tirol, southern lateral valley of the Inntal valley; according to tradition, it comprises the valley of the River Sill, the upper valley of the River Isarco (German: Eisack) in South Tyrol (Italy) and the Brenner Pass (watershed, alt. 1,370 m), which is situated between both rivers. In a narrower sense, it means the Austrian part north of the Brenner Pass. The name was derived from the Roman "Vipitenum" (now Vipiteno/Sterzing); mainly summer tourism. In the west, mainly grassland and dairy farming (Grey and Braunvieh cattle); despite the high altitude, cereals are grown in some lateral valleys, also some sheep-farming. The North Tyrolean part of the Wipptal valley is bound by the Tux Alps in the east and the Stubai Alps in the west. The River Sill, which drains the eastern Wipptal valley, has its source near the Griesbergalm alp (1,953 m) east of the Brenner Pass; southwest of the pass, the River Isarco (Eisack) rises on Italian territory. Important tributaries of the River Sill include the Navisbach, Schmirnbach and Valserbach streams from the east and the River Ruetz, the Gschnitzbach and Seebach stream from the west. Important municipalities in the Wipptal valley are Natters (alt. 783 m), Mutters (alt. 830 m), Matrei am Brenner (alt. 990 m) as well as Steinach am Brenner (alt. 1,049 m) and Gries am Brenner (alt. 1,164 m), which are major ski resorts. The villages Vill (alt. 817 m) and Igls (alt. 870 m), which are situated at the end of the valley, form part of the municipal territory of Innsbruck. The Wipptal valley has always been an important transit route from north to south; a railway line and the motorway A 13 (Europabruecke Bridge) connect Innsbruck with the Italian towns of Bolzano (Bozen) and Verona via the Brenner Pass. The Wipptal provides a connection from the Inntal valley to the Pustertal valley (Val Pusteria) in the southeast and the Etschtal (Adige) valley in the southwest via the Jaufen Pass (Passo del Giovo) and the Passeiertal Valley (Val Passiria).

Literature#