The district community of Wipptal is the youngest and, from a population point of view, the smallest district community in South Tyrol. It was only established in 1979 and stretches from Brenner to Franzensfeste. The shopping and economic centre of the community of Wipptal is the town of Sterzing which is also the biggest settlement and administrative centre. Here the Pfitscher Tal and the Ridnauntal valleys, famous for the Gilfenklamm in Ratschings with its "Ratschinger Marble", run into the Sterzinger Becken. The location on the frontier to Austria and the good transport connections over the Brenner through the Brenner motorway and the Brenner railway line help promote the relationship to the north among other things through tourist shopping to Innsbruck. There are further connections over the Jaufenpass and the Penser Joch. Freienfeld and Franzensfeste are two further important settlements along the course of the River Eisack, which over long stretches is only a very narrow valley.