The municipal area stretches along the Antholz valley, a northern side valley of the larger Puster Valley. In the northeast, the Staller Saddle mountain pass, at a height of 2,050 m (6,730 ft) leads into the Defereggen Valley in East Tyrol, Austria. The Antholz valley is confined by the mountains of the Rieserferner Group in the north and the Villgraten Mountains in the east, both part of the High Tauern range in the Central Eastern Alps. Notable peaks include the Hochgall, at 3,436 m (11,273 ft), and the Wildgall (Collaspro), at 3,273 m (10,738 ft), as well as the Ohrenspitzen massif, at 3,101 m (10,174 ft), in the northeast. Large parts of the northern and western mountain ranges belong to the Rieserferner-Ahrn Nature Park established in 1988. The Antholzer Bach stream runs through the valley from Antholzer See (Lago di Anterselva) down to its confluence with the Rienz (Rienza) river at Olang.
The municipality of Rasen-Antholz contains six frazioni (subdivisions, mainly villages and hamlets): Antholz Niedertal (Anterselva di Sotto), Antholz Mittertal (Anterselva di Mezzo), Antholz Obertal (Anterselva di Sopra), Neunhäusern (Nove Case), Niederrasen (Rasun di Sotto) and Oberrasen (Rasun di Sopra).
Linguistic distribution
According to the 2011 census, 98.40% of the population speak German, 1.16% Italian and 0.44% Ladin as first language.[4]
History
Ruins of Altrasen Castle
Archaeological findings of a Hallstatt cemetery near Niederrasen denote a settlement of the area already in the Iron Age. In 15 BC, present-day Tyrol was conquered by the Roman Empire. About 590 AD, Bavarian tribes under their Duke Tassilo I entered the region.
Rasen itself was first mentioned in a 1050 deed, the local Lords of Rasen served as ministeriales of the Counts of Tyrol from the 13th century onwards. They resided at Altrasen Castle which was first documented in 1210. Count Meinhard II of Tyrol ceded it to his consort Elisabeth of Bavaria in 1259. Meanwhile, the Lords of Rasen had Neurasen Castle erected, which fell to the Bishops of Brixen in 1342.
Upon the extinction of the Meinhardiner counts in 1500, Tyrol as a whole became a crown land of the Habsburg monarchy.
Coat-of-arms
The shield is gules a pile reversed on sable and argent. It is the sign of the Lords of Rasen, who ruled from 1353. The emblem was officially adopted on 10 August 1967.[5]
