Franzensfeste is a village and a fortress located in the vicinity of Brixen. This is the most southern community of the Wipptal Valley. Franzensfeste is an important railway centre as all trains stop here and go to all directions in South Tyrol.
Franzensfeste Fortress was constructed from 1833 to 1838 by Emperor Ferdinand I. The scope of the fortress was to secure the traffic connection through the Eisacktal Valley via the Brenner Pass. An water reservoir has been realised beside the lake in 1940. It is believed that valuable treasures are still hidden there.
Franzensfeste includes the harbours of Oberau, Mittewald, and Grasstein which are ideal for hiking to pastures and mountain peaks.
From here you can reach the ski and hiking areas Plose, Rosskopf, Jochtal, Meransen, Ratschings and Ladurns with only a short drive. The shopping towns Sterzing and Brixen, as well as Bozen and Innsbruck in Austria can be easily reached.
