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Early December. Overnight, it has snowed properly for the first time. The village square in Moso is quiet, the rooftops wear white caps and the valley is bathed in that clear, cold light you only get in winter. Dusk comes early in the afternoon. Lights come on in the cosy rooms, and the scent of cinnamon and butter drifts through the house from the kitchen.
We love these weeks. Our summer guests have long since gone home, winter is slowly gathering pace and the valley grows a little quieter.
Many of you know Sesto with dust on your biking shoes or after a long day skiing on the Croda Rossa slopes. You know the trails, the pistes, your favourite spot on the terrace. In Advent, the valley shows another side of itself. That’s the side we’d like to show you, along with the Christmas markets in Val Pusteria that we love visiting ourselves.
Advent doesn’t arrive in Sesto with a fanfare. More with brass music drifting over from the church, snow crunching beneath your boots and that crisp, cold air you can feel right down to your fingertips after a day outdoors.
We don’t have our own Christmas market here in Moso. Instead, Advent gives us something else: peace and quiet. Evenings are about different things: a good meal, a glass of wine and stories from the day. But if you fancy mulled wine and twinkling lights, you can be right in the middle of it all in minutes – and back in the quiet just as quickly.
You can recognise a South Tyrolean Christmas market with your eyes closed. By the Swiss pine wood of the stalls. The cinnamon in the air. The freshly fried Strauben disappearing beneath a cloud of icing sugar. And the Val Pusteria Tirtlan: crisp on the outside, filled with spinach and curd cheese, a speciality of our valley.
Add a warm mug between cold hands, church towers against snowy peaks and, somewhere, St Nicholas passing by with his Krampus companions. Nativity scenes, the Christ Child and Krampus parades belong to December here just as much as the first snow on the Three Peaks.
San Candido is just next door, with Dobbiaco a few kilometres further on. For Brunico, Cortina or Lienz, it’s best to set aside a whole afternoon. With the Südtirol Guest Pass, you can travel free by bus and train within South Tyrol. That way, you can enjoy the evening without worrying about the journey home.
We’ve picked six markets for you, from the little evening market in Rasun di Sotto to the big Christmas market in Brunico. Each has its own character. Here’s what makes each one special, how long it takes to get there and what you shouldn’t miss.
Distances and journey times from the Alpenblick in Moso, rounded. *The Südtirol Guest Pass is not valid outside South Tyrol.
approx. 9 km · approx. 10 min by car
The San Candido Christmas market is the closest to us, and the most peaceful too. Small wooden huts line the pedestrian area around St Michael’s Church and the bandstand, with snowy peaks rising behind them. No crowds, just time for mulled wine and gingerbread.
At the stalls you’ll find Christmas tree decorations you’ll love unpacking for winters to come, delicate carvings in fragrant Swiss pine and handmade hats and scarves. Christmas here feels like it did at your grandparents’ house. And who knows? St Nicholas and the Christ Child might even stop by.
Our tip: perfect for a spontaneous evening after skiing – or a toboggan run on Monte Baranci.
approx. 13 km · approx. 20 min by car
In the village square in front of the parish church, the focus is on Val Pusteria cooking: Tirtlan, barley soup, Alpine cheese and a mug of apple mulled wine. You don’t just browse here. You taste.
The pavilion is full of one-off handmade pieces, while the cultural centre hosts Advent concerts. Around St Nicholas’ Day, South Tyrol’s oldest Krampus parade makes its way through the village.
Our tip: definitely try the Tirtlan. The Krampus parade in early December is best enjoyed without very young children.
approx. 38 km · approx. 50 min by car
Brunico is home to one of South Tyrol’s five original Christmas markets. Wooden stalls stretch through the old town, watched over by the illuminated castle. Advent feels a little bigger here, but never hectic.
At Palais Sternbach, craftspeople show off their skills. There’s also a living nativity scene, concerts and a children’s programme at weekends. The market is certified as a Green Event. And the Strauben with lingonberries are worth queuing for.
Our tip: combine a day’s skiing at Plan de Corones with a visit to the market. The valley lift station is only a few kilometres away.
approx. 44 km · approx. 55 min by car
Wooden stalls line Corso Italia, Cortina’s promenade, between boutiques and cafés. Wander without a plan or a hurry, with hot chocolate in your hand and roasted chestnuts in your pocket.
An Advent calendar with art installations opens its windows on the façade of the Comun Vècio. There are embroidered goods, candles and toys too, Santa’s village in Piazza Dibona for the little ones – and the Ampezzo Dolomites all around.
Our tip: the market only opens shortly before Christmas, so it’s ideal for the days leading up to New Year. Even the drive through the snowy Val di Landro is worth it.
approx. 30 km · approx. 35 min by car
In the leisure park at Rasun di Sotto, at the entrance to Valle Anterselva, a small market opens on weekend evenings in December. Against the snowy peaks of the Rieserferner mountains, it’s all about local crafts and traditional treats, away from the bustle.
Our tip: if you have time, head further into the valley first and take a walk around Lake Anterselva.
approx. 50 km · approx. 55 min by car
Around the main square and the Liebburg, traditional crafts take centre stage. At the ‘Living Workshop’ you can watch craftspeople at work, while a nativity exhibition awaits at the town hall. Be sure to try Lienz Lebzelt, made to a recipe dating back to 1644.
Our tip: come in the late afternoon to see the next window of the Advent calendar open at the Liebburg. The market ends on Christmas Eve.
By bus and train: with the Südtirol Guest Pass, you can travel free on buses and regional trains within South Tyrol. It isn’t valid outside South Tyrol. Opening times: many markets only open in the afternoon on weekdays. Ask us at reception for the latest times.
Eventually the last mulled wine is finished, the bag of chestnuts is empty and your shopping bag is a little heavier. Then it’s back to Sesto, where everything is quiet, the Three Peaks are barely visible in the dark and a light is still on at the Alpenblick.
Cinnamon in your hair, Swiss pine in your bag, views of the Three Peaks the next morning. That’s what Advent feels like here.
We look forward to seeing you – perhaps this time in Advent.
Around Sesto, you’ll find markets in San Candido, Dobbiaco, Rasun di Sotto and Brunico. Brunico’s is one of South Tyrol’s five original Christmas markets. A little further afield, Lienz in East Tyrol and Cortina d’Ampezzo are also worth visiting.
The San Candido Christmas market, around 12 km from the Alpenblick. It’s about 10 minutes by car, and regular buses run there too.
Not in Sesto, but the markets in San Candido and Dobbiaco are only a short journey away.
Yes. With the Südtirol Guest Pass, included with your winter stay here, you can travel free by bus and train to San Candido, Dobbiaco, Brunico and Rasun di Sotto. For Cortina, take the bus via Dobbiaco; for Lienz, the train from San Candido. The Guest Pass isn’t valid outside South Tyrol, though.
San Candido, Dobbiaco and Brunico open in late November and run until early January, although San Candido only opens at weekends until shortly before Christmas. Lienz starts in mid-November and finishes on Christmas Eve. Cortina opens shortly before Christmas, while Rasun di Sotto only has a market on weekend evenings in December.
San Candido’s, because it’s small and easy to explore – and if you’re lucky, St Nicholas and the Christ Child might stop by. Dobbiaco and Brunico have special children’s programmes, and Santa’s village awaits in Cortina.