MeranoMerano (UKməˈrɑːnoʊ, USmeɪˈ-, meˈraːno) or Meran (meˈʁaːn) is a city and comune (municipality) in South Tyrol, northern Italy. Generally best known for its spa resorts, it is located within a basin, surrounded by mountains standing up to above sea level, at the entrance to the Passeier Valley and the Vinschgau. In the past, the city has been a popular place of residence for several scientists, literary people, and artists, including Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound, Paul Lazarsfeld, and also Empress Elisabeth of Austria, who appreciated its mild climate.
OrtlerOrtler (ˈɔrtlɐ; Ortles ˈɔrtles) is, at above sea level, the highest mountain in the Eastern Alps outside the Bernina Range. It is the main peak of the Ortler Range. It is the highest point of the Southern Limestone Alps, of South Tyrol in Italy, of Tyrol overall, and, until 1919, of the Austrian-Hungarian empire. In German the mountain is commonly referred to as "König Ortler" (King Ortler), like in the unofficial hymn of South Tyrol, the Bozner Bergsteigerlied.
BolzanoBolzano (bolˈtsaːno or bolˈdzaːno; Bozen ˈboːtsn̩, formerly Botzen; Bozn; Balsan or Bulsan) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third largest in historical Tyrol. The greater metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants and is one of the urban centers within the Alps. Bolzano is the seat of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, where lectures and seminars are held in English, German, and Italian.
SchwazSchwaz (ˈʃvaːts) is a city in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative center of the Schwaz district. Schwaz is located in the lower Inn valley. Schwaz lies in the middle of the Lower Inn Valley at the foot of the Kellerjoch and Eiblschrofen mountains. It is located approximately east of Innsbruck. The city covers an area of . Neighbouring communities include: Buch bei Jenbach, Fügenberg, Gallzein, Pill, Stans, and Vomp. The Counts of Tyrol guarded Schwaz from nearby Burg Freundsberg.
Eastern AlpsEastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of a line from Lake Constance and the Alpine Rhine valley up to the Splügen Pass at the Alpine divide and down the Liro River to Lake Como in the south. The peaks and mountain passes are lower than the Western Alps, while the range itself is broader and less arched.
Stelvio PassThe Stelvio Pass (Passo dello Stelvio ˈpasso dello ˈstɛlvjo, - ˈstelvjo or Giogo dello Stelvio ˈdʒoːɡo dello ˈstɛlvjo, - ˈstelvjo; Stilfser Joch ˈʃtɪlfsɐ ˈjɔx) is a mountain pass in northern Italy bordering Switzerland at an elevation of above sea level. It is the highest paved mountain pass in the Eastern Alps, and the second highest in the Alps, below France's Col de l'Iseran (). The pass is located in the Ortler Alps in Italy between Stilfs ("Stelvio" in Italian) in South Tyrol and Bormio in the province of Sondrio.
BruneckBruneck (ˈbrunɛk; Brunico bruˈniːko or ˈbruːniko Ladin: Bornech or Burnech; Brunecium or Brunopolis) is the largest town in the Puster Valley in the Italian province of South Tyrol. Bruneck rises up in the middle of a wide valley (perhaps an ancient lake basin) and lies at the confluence of the Ahr with the Rienz, which itself flows into the Eisack river. Here the northern Tauferer Ahrntal side valley and the southern Val Badia of the Gran Ega creek join the broad Pustertal.
KufsteinKufstein (ˈkʊfˌʃtaɪ̯n; Central Bavarian: Kufstoa) is a town in the Austrian state of Tyrol, the administrative seat of Kufstein District. With a population of about 20,000 it is the second largest Tyrolean town after the state capital Innsbruck. The greatest landmark is Kufstein Fortress, first mentioned in the 13th century. The town was the place of origin of the Austrian noble family Kuefstein. It is located in the Tyrolean Unterland region on the river Inn, at the confluence with its Weißache and Kaiserbach tributaries, near the border with Bavaria, Germany.
BrixenBrixen (ˈbrɪksn̩, ˈb̥ʀɪksn̩; Bressanone bressaˈnoːne; Porsenù or Persenon) is a town in South Tyrol, northern Italy, located about north of Bolzano. Brixen is the third-largest city and oldest town in the province, with a population of nearly twenty-three thousand. It is located at the confluence of the Eisack and Rienz rivers, and today it is the capital of the Eisack district community. The Brenner Pass, on the Italian-Austrian border, is 45 km to the north of Brixen, and Bolzano lies 40 km to the south.
LienzLienz (ˈliːɛnt͡s; Southern Bavarian: Lianz) is a medieval town in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the administrative centre of the Lienz district, which covers all of East Tyrol. The municipality also includes the cadastral subdivision of Patriasdorf. Lienz is located at the confluence of the rivers Isel and Drava in the Eastern Alps, between the Hohe Tauern mountain range in the north (including the Schober and Kreuzeck groups), and the Gailtal Alps in the south. It is connected with Winklern in Carinthia by the Iselsberg Pass.
