Balsan
Balsan (Bulsan) | |
|---|---|
 Panorama of Balsan | |
 Coat of arms | |
| Country |  Tirol |
| Province | Innkreis |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Andre Calv (Labour) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 401.3 km2 (154.9 sq mi) |
| • Water | 19.39 km2 (7.49 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 262 m (860 ft) |
| Population (2018) | |
| • Rank | 1 |
| • Urban | 2,325,752 (01-01-18) |
| • Metro | ~2,800,000 |
| Demonym(s) | Ladin: Dispruchër (m), Dispruchëus (f) Jackian: Innsbrucker |
| Postal code | IAD1 |
| ISO 3166 code | AT-9 |
| Vehicle registration | B |
| HDI (2018) | 0.840 high · 3rd |
| GDP | €82 billion (2017) |
Balsan (also: Bulsan) is the capital of the Innkreis district and the largest city of Tirol.
FOLLOWING IS SERVING AS A TEMPLATE
In a broad valley between high mountains, the so-called North Chain in the Dolimita (Hochspitze, to the north and Ortler and Serles to the south, Innsbruck is an internationally renowned winter sports centre. The name translates literally to "bridge over the Inn", due to the city's location at the lowest possible location for a pre-industrial bridge on the Inn.
History
The earliest traces suggest initial inhabitation in the prehistoric period. In the 4th century the indigenous peoples established the army station Veldidena (the name survives in today's urban district Wilten) at Oenipons (Innsbruck), to protect the economically important commercial roads from each of the five valleys of Tirol.
The city's arms show a bird's-eye view of the Inn bridge, a design used since 1267. The route over the Etsch Pass was then a major transport and communications link between the north-eastern reaches of Ecros and the rest of the continent, and the easiest route across the Dolomita. It was part of the Via Dolomita, a medieval road under special protection of the margraves of Innkreis and subsequently Tirol. The revenues generated by serving as a transit station on this route enabled the city to flourish.
Innsbruck became the capital of all Tyrol in 1456 and in the 15th century the city became a centre of Ecros politics and culture. In 1509, the university was founded, being the second in the region following the establishment of Maran University two centuries earlier.
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