Events Val Venosta / Vinschgau

The banishing of winter and the race of the Zussl are ancient traditional customs practiced only in Prato allo Stelvio. Every year at this time, there is a carnival procession and a noisy ritual repeated exactly the same way. On Shrove Tuesday the town’s youth wear white costumes adorned with colored flowers made of paper and large bells, some as heavy as 20 kg, are worn around the waist of the males.

On Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday and Shrove Tuesday, the Maschger, led by a Bajaz, perform. Good-humoured, masked and exuberant couples move from inn to inn, where they dance and play pranks according to fixed rituals. The mask group consists of eight couples: Mr. and Mrs., Farmer and Farmer's Wife, Steyrerin, Tuxner and Tuxnerin, Zillertalerin, Mohr and Mohrin, Tschigeiner and Tschigeinerin as well as Zoch and Pfott. As soon as the Maschger enter an inn, the Bajaz opens the dance round with his pointed hat.... continue

A popular custom among aficionados of ancient traditions is the ritual of the launching of burning disks, the so-called Scheibenschlagen, which takes place annually in Venosta Valley. With this archaic tradition, held each year on Septuagesima, the first Sunday before Lent, the inhabitants of the Venosta Valley pay homage to love and fertility and invite spring to reveal its blooming face. Children and adults – though traditionally only young men – hold whips in their hands, on which are placed round or square... continue