Pustertal

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South Tyrol, with the Pustertal marked in green

The Puster Valley (Italian: Val Pusteria, German: Pustertal) is a valley in the Alps of East and South Tyrol (Province of Bolzano), which runs in an east-west direction between Brixen (Bressanone), Italy and Lienz, Austria.

The term Pusteria or Pustertal is often used only to describe the South Tyrolian part of this valley.

[edit] Geological-Geographical Description

The Puster Valley is located in the western part of the Periadriatic Seam, which separates the Southern Limestone Alps from the Central Alps (and also most of the limestone Alps from the central gneiss and slate peaks of the range's central section). Half of the valley drains to the west (to the Adriatic via the Eisack-Isarco) and the other half to the east (to the Black Sea via the Danube). The watershed lies in the shallow valley floor (the Toblacher Feld). The Rienz-Rienza flows through the Western Pustertal (also known as the "Green Valley", and which lies in South Tyrol) and the Drava flows through the section in East Tyrol. This eastern part is also called the Hochpustertal (Great Puster Valley).

Mountain in the Pustertal, South Tyrol

East of Sillian, the Pustertal leaves the Peradriatic Line (which moves into the Gailtal) and turns to the northeast towards Lienz.

The towns of the Pustertal are located between around 750 to 1,180 meters above sea level. The most important of these in the western Pustertal are Toblach, Welsberg, Olang, and Bruneck-Brunico; in the eastern Pustertal the main towns are Innichen, Sillian, and Mittewald.

The largest tributaries of the Rienz form the Antholzer Bach, the Ahr, the Pragser Bach, the Gsieser Bach, the Gader, the Pfunderer Bach, and the Lüsenbach. The Pustertal's largest side valley is the Ahrntal. The Drava's largest eastern tributaries are the Sexten-Sesto Bach and the Villgraten-Bach.

[edit] The Bezirksgemeinschaft Pustertal

The Bezirksgemeinschaft Pustertal (Italian: Comprensorio della Val Pusteria) was founded in 1969 with the merger of 26 municipalities. Its combined area is 2,071 km² and its population is over 73,000. Its main town is Bruneck. According to the 2001 census, 81% of the population of Pustertal speaks German as first language, 13% Ladin, and 6% Italian.

The following municipalities are part of the Bezirksgemeinschaft Pustertal: Ahrntal, Badia, Bruneck, Corvara, Gais, Gsies, Innichen, Kiens, La Val, Mareo, Mühlwald, Niederdorf, Olang, Percha, Pfalzen, Prags, Prettau, Rasen-Antholz, Sand in Taufers, St. Lorenzen, San Martin de Tor, Sexten, Terenten, Toblach, Vintl, and Welsberg-Taisten.