South Tyrol in Autumn – A Holiday in San Candido in the Alta Pusteria Valley

Unforgettable Hikes and Mountain Bike Trails

Autumn invites you to experience unforgettable hikes and stunningly beautiful mountain bike trails. Whether you are trekking across green alpine meadows, wandering through a valley as nature takes on its autumnal hues, or following the path of an impressive high-altitude trail—the imposing mountain peaks of the Dolomites are your constant companions. The 3 Zinnen region, with its distinctive mountain ranges, offers 2,000 kilometers of hiking trails for you to explore.

Mountain biking in the 3 Zinnen Dolomites region entices riders with exhilarating bike trails and technically demanding mountain bike tours. It leaves nothing to be desired. There are 450 kilometers of designated mountain bike trails waiting to be discovered.

Autumn³Time in South Tyrol

You can discover Autumn³Time in the Dolomites 3 Zinnen region from an entirely different perspective. This year, from September 9th to November 1st, 2022—and every year thereafter—the 3 Zinnen region offers unique experiences during this special season. In autumn, the focus shifts to culinary enjoyment, outdoor activities, and traditions, all celebrated through various events across the region's communities.

The weekly program during this time also promises hours full of adventure:

• Monday: Bike tour to the Sesto mountain pastures
• Tuesday: Dolomiti senza Confini – Dolomites without Borders
• Wednesday: Dolomites Cinema
• Thursday: Via Forgotten Shepherd Paths / Along Smugglers' Trails
• Friday: Sunrise at the Three Peaks / Nature – A Guide for My Life

Because the Autumn³Time program in the 3 Zinnen Dolomites region is such a fantastic offer, we would like to introduce the varied weekly schedule to you in more detail. Of course, you can also simply use it as inspiration and discover the Sesto Dolomites, the Three Peaks, and the surrounding area on your own.

Dolomiti senza Confini – Dolomites without Borders

Every Tuesday, things get adventurous: under the motto "Dolomites without Borders," participants in this expedition climb across old mountain galleries, World War I ladder systems, and suspension bridges to reach the summit cross.

Famous peaks and rock formations of the Dolomites, such as the Monte Paterno (Paternkofel), Torre di Toblin (Toblinger Knoten), and the Sesto Sundial, are experienced up close. The Innerkofler via ferrata, with its view of the Three Peaks, runs along the Italian front line of the First World War. Alpine scenery and history unite for an eventful day.

Dolomites Cinema

At the Dolomites Cinema, you truly feel like you're in a movie—overnight stay included. Along the Dobbiaco High-Altitude Trail, the captivating autumn splendor takes center stage. With views of the striking Dolomite formations and their "white walls," the experience focuses on stories about the mountains, the local people, and their unique culture.

An impressive sunset on the Dobbiaco Pfannhorn is followed by a night at the Bonner Hütte, where you can witness a spectacular sunrise over the Three Peaks. After a hearty alpine breakfast, the Dobbiaco High-Altitude Trail leads you to the Marcher Hütte. This hut offers views of the Sesto Sundial and serves as the perfect spot to refuel for the final leg of the journey back down into the valley.

Heugabel – The Craft and Farmers' Market in San Candido

For many years, autumn has been welcomed in a very special way in San Candido, where the harvest, its local products, and long-standing traditions are celebrated during the "Heugabel" (Pitchfork) festival. The craft and farmers' market at Pflegplatz, the heart of San Candido, heralds the start of the autumn season and is dedicated entirely to farmers and traditional craftsmanship. The "Heu" (hay) symbolizes the homegrown products of the local farmers and is synonymous with the farmers' market itself.

The "Gabel" (fork) serves as a symbol for the culinary specialties in San Candido that find their way from the harvest to the table and plate. Naturally, visitors to the market can also purchase these local delicacies to take home. Traditional specialties of the Alta Pusteria cuisine are prepared for guests to enjoy by the farmers’ wives from the surrounding farmsteads.

During the "Heugabel" days in San Candido, ancient craftsmanship is also brought to life and showcased. With around 20 local artisans—including goldsmiths, cloth weavers, lace makers, basket weavers, and potters—you can experience these traditional trades firsthand.

A special highlight, unique in all of South Tyrol, is the "Scarecrow Competition" held during the festival. The scarecrows found in gardens, in front of houses, and on balconies range from grumpy to hilarious; they seem to invite closer inspection—perhaps even from our feathered friends—rather than scaring them away.

Potato Week & Potato Festival in Villabassa

To mark the beginning of autumn, Villabassa has dedicated an entire week to the potato. This week is capped off by the two-day Potato Festival. In various restaurants and inns throughout this Alta Pusteria community, the "Erdapfel" (potato) takes center stage on the menu. A wide variety of traditional dishes are served, showcasing the potato in combination with other local products.

The finale of the Potato Week is the Villabassa Potato Festival, where everything revolves around this starchy tuber and the typical Tyrolean dishes made from it. Traditional music, a farmers' market, and surprises for children round out the program. Get to know the potato in a completely new way and let yourself be inspired by its South Tyrolean versatility.

South Tyrol 3 Zinnen Alpine Run

At the South Tyrol 3 Zinnen Alpine Run—or the Corsa delle Tre Cime, as it is known in Italian—approximately 1,000 runners, including both amateurs and international elite athletes, tackle a distance of 17.5 kilometers and 1,350 meters of elevation gain every year. The starting point of the Three Peaks Run is the village center of Sesto. From there, the race continues through the Fischlein Valley to the Talschlusshütte, then climbs toward the Zsigmondyhütte and the Büllelejochhütte, which is the highest and simultaneously the smallest mountain shelter in the Sesto Dolomites.

Cattle Drive & Parish Fair

The cessation of grass growth and the onset of cold weather dictate the timing for moving the livestock from the alpine pastures down into the valley, where the herds then spend the winter season. In the Alta Pusteria Valley, this time arrives in mid-September, when the cattle drives in Toblach and Sesto are celebrated.

For the cattle drive (Almabtrieb), the cows are elaborately decorated with traditional floral headdresses.
While in former times the religious context was the primary focus of the parish fair, today it is a folk festival for the entire local population. These fairs are celebrated in all the villages and towns of the Alta Pusteria Valley with the parish fair tree (Kirchtagsbaum), the "Kirchtagsmichl" effigy, as well as a church service and procession.

Törggelen

As part of the traditional autumn custom of Törggelen, "Buschenschänken" (farmhouse inns) open their doors to serve guests their own house-made young wine and typical South Tyrolean specialties, such as roasted chestnuts. These "Buschenschänken" are rustic farm taverns where you can indulge in culinary delights within an authentic atmosphere.

Törggelen originally hails from the Isarco Valley (Eisacktal), which connects the Stubai Alps and the Dolomites. Today, the tradition remains primarily centered in the Isarco Valley, and a visit to this South Tyrolean valley is well worth the trip. However, within the Dolomites region, there are also several places to stop where "Buschenschank" and "Hofschank" (farmhouse taverns) offer guests the chance to indulge in house specialties.

Chestnut Delights

Traditional Törggelen includes young wine, but roasted chestnuts—known locally as "Keschtn"—are also an absolute must. Along the "Eisacktal Chestnut Trail" (Keschtnweg), you can enjoy a breathtaking autumn hike through small villages, wineries, mixed forests, and chestnut groves, wandering through woods filled with the changing colors of vine leaves and autumn foliage. In many farmhouse inns (Buschenschänken) on either side of the trail, you can savor roasted chestnuts accompanied by a glass of young wine and South Tyrolean specialties during a Törggelen feast.