With its mere 1,370 metres above sea level, the Brenner Pass is the lowest pass in the main ridge of the Alps.The Eisack river valley starts here and this is where Austrian Tyrol meets Italian South Tyrol. The old pass road, the motorway and the railway connect both halves of Tyrol. On the Italian side, the pass area forms part of the municipality of Brenner. This comprises the villages of Brenner, Gossensaß and Pflersch. The Brenner Pass has long been considered one of the most popular Alpine crossings, and it has the historical importance to match.

A red carpet fit for emperors
The Bernsteinstraße road used to run over the Brenner Pass, and was used for transporting yellow gemstones from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Coast to be sold in the Mediterranean area. But it was not just goods that passed over the ridge, emperors of the Holy Roman Empire took the way over the Brenner to be crowned at Rome. And they were not the only notable people to stop at the Brenner over the course of the long history of the place.
When staying at a holiday flat or room in Brenner, parallels with famous personalities like Henrik Ibsen or Richard Strauss may be drawn. They stayed here, too. The water at Brennerbad source was said to heal rheumatic conditions or whooping cough. And still today, drinking and inhalation cures may be done at the thermal springs.
In the 19th century, the spa had its heyday and even express trains stopped at Brennerbad station. When a grand hotel was built in 1902, elite tourism picked up again, but just twenty years after its promising opening, the hotel was destroyed by fire.

Spa resort favoured by Ibsen, seat of the miners 
The big name of the Norwegian writer Henrik Ibsen has close links with another place: Gossensaß, the main village of the Brenner parish. In the 20th century, it was considered the most important spa resort in Tyrol after Meran and Ibsen was its most prominent guest. On a Farm Holiday in Brenner, guests can follow in the footsteps of this famous visitor. The Ibsen Museum displays pictures, photos, letters and postcards belonging to the writer.
The name 'Gossensaß' indicates that the village has another function: 'Gotzen' are 'miners', and 'Saß' stands for 'seat'. The miners' cottages, the old courthouse or St. Barbara Chapel in honour of the patron saint of miners today bear witness to that illustrious time, when silver and lead were mined in neighbouring Pflerschtal valley. Miners from all over Europe came together at Gossensaß in the village's heyday. This continued from the Middle Ages until 1818, when the mine was closed.