St. Jakob is the last, but largest and most important village in the upper part of the Defereggental. During summer a road over the Staller Saddle connects the village with the Antholzer Tal in South-Tyrol. St Jakob is scattered in the entire upper part of the valley and encompasses villages, hamlets and isolated farmhouses at the bottom of the valley and on the sunny slopes. Tourism has a long tradition in the village. In the 19th century St. Jakob was a small summer resort. After the construction of the ski lifts developing the skiing area of Brunnalm in the second half of the 20th century, St. Jakob has become the most important centre for winter sports in East Tyrol (more than 300,000 overnight stays). These developments have changed the shape of the village.