Puster Valley

The Puster Valley (German: Pustertal; Italian: Val Pusteria, Ladin: Val de Puster) is a valley in the Alps that runs in an east-west direction between Lienz in East Tyrol, Austria and Mühlbach near Brixen in South Tyrol, Italy. The municipalities of the Puster Valley constitute the Puster Valley district.

Puster Valley

The Puster Valley is located in the western part of the Periadriatic Seam, which separates the Southern Limestone Alps from the Central Alps, as well as 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 Adige river; the other half drains to the east to the Black Sea via the Danube. The watershed lies in the shallow valley floor called the Toblacher Feld. The Rienz river flows westwards through the Puster Valley and the Drau river flows eastwards into East Tyrol. The eastern part of the valley is called the Upper Puster Valley.

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