The Traditional Autumn Festival in Tirolo, South Tyrol, celebrates events and the area’s cultural heritage.
Decorated floats and marching bands
With typical flavours of the period, from wine, to apples, to chestnuts, this year's edition of the auturmn festival is set for the weekend of 13-14 September. The celebrations will begin on the Saturday evening with a torchlight procession through the streets of the little town. This will be followed by music and dancing in the Event Park, adjacent to the office of the Tyrol Tourism Association. The climax of the event will take place on Sunday, with a parade through the old centre, featuring decorated floats and marching bands, and with the participation of local associations.
An Alpine landscape dotted with fortresses, churches and castles
Tyrol Castle, now home to the South Tyrol Museum of History and Culture, dates back to the 12th century. Of crucial importance for the history of the area - to which it gives its name - the museum has a permanent exhibition with archaeological finds and contemporary works. In June and July every year the Knights' Hall hosts musical evenings with Italian and international artists.
Flight demonstrations in the Bird Rescue Centre
A short distance away we find Fontana Castle, built in 1250, a fortification which was the residence of the American poet Ezra Pound and today houses the South Tyrol Agricultural Museum and cultural centre. The Bird Rescue Centre in Castle Tyrol is dedicated to the rehabilitation of injured birds of prey and wild birds, with flight demonstrations taking place twice daily from the end of March to the beginning of November.
The Earth Pyramids are millenary clay formations
Nearby we find the Earth Pyramids, clay formations originating from millennia of erosion in the Rio della Muta gorge, near Castel Tirolo, and in the Finele valley, near Caines. Located on the slopes of the Muta, the Cesta Hochmuth is a viewing platform offering views of Merano and the Adige Valley. Its basket-like structure recalls local farming traditions and provides information about the mountain peaks and the history of farming at high altitudes.
Castles and blooming apple trees in spring
The area’s ecclesiastical heritage includes the churches of San Pietro and San Ruperto, while noble residences such as Castel d'Aura and Castel Thurnstein complete the historical context. And looking towards the beginning of next year, the blooming of the apple trees is an important seasonal event for spring tourism.
