| Vals | |
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Vals
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| Country | Austria |
| State | Tyrol |
| District | Innsbruck Land |
| Mayor | Klaus Ungerank |
| Area | 48.7 km2 (19 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,129 m (3704 ft) |
| Population | 551 (1 January 2011)[1] |
| - Density | 11 /km2 (29 /sq mi) |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | IL |
| Postal code | 6152 |
| Area code | 05279 |
| Website | www.vals.at |
Vals is a municipality in the southern Innsbruck-Land District, Tyrol with a population of 558 (2010), an area of 48,7 square kilometres. [2]
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Vals is located 26 km southeast of Innsbruck in a valley with the same name, which branches off from the eastern side of Wipptal at Stafflach while at Sankt Jodok take place two valleys, the Schmirntal and the Valsertal. The valley belongs to the village and the south area borders to Italy. Under the municipility of Vals is the southern part of the village of Sankt Jodok. The valley stretches out to the Ziller Valley Alps (Zillertal) for about seven kilometers and ends with the peaks Kaser, Olperer, Schrammacher and Hohe Wand. The valley is crossed by the stream Valser and its tributaries Alpeiner, Tscheisch and Paduaner.
The region was once used by Roman farmers as pasture, and the first documented mention dates back to 1313, under the name "Valles" derived from the latin "Vallis”. From the Middle Ages was then extracted the marble used for the floors of the Imperial Palace and the Cathedral of Innsbruck. In 1809 the entire Wipptal and some adjacent valleys were the scene of the Battle of Bergisel between the Tyrolese against the Kingdom of Bavaria and the First French Empire. [3] In 1941 the entire valley was declared a nature reserve and despite this, in May 1942 during the Second World War, under the saddle Alpeiner at 2950 m., was bored a tunnel system for the extraction of molybdenum. Under the command of the Wehrmacht were used in the excavation prisoners of war and others to hard labour. [4]
The emblem of Vals consist in a red shield with a black V on the top including a golden crown, the crown is referred to that of the St. Jodok.