Cribs and Christmas Markets

Waiting for Christmas in Val di Rabbi

During the Christmas season, both Val di Rabbi and the nearby Val di Sole have some surprises in store that create a truly magical atmosphere.

Val di Rabbi comes to life as the “Valley of Nativity Scenes“. Starting from Pracorno, the old farmhouses come alive with handcrafted figures that accompany us to Piazzola, where the Nativity scene is located inside another old farmhouse.

The characters are life-sized and are made by local craftsmen and artists. They can be found in all the villages, and we can admire them as they perform the traditional tasks of the past.

In Ossana, in Val di Sole, about half an hour from the Alpen Hotel, we can discover the magic of nativity scenes. During the Christmas season, the village sets up about 1500 nativity scenes, almost twice the number of inhabitants.

We can find them everywhere: in the ancient and suggestive castle of San Michele, in the village fountains, on window sills, along the streets, in the old “courtyards” of the houses. They are made with various materials, from wood to cork. Everyone contributes, starting from the local school classes, but in recent years, some have even arrived from Venezuela or directly from Bethlehem.

We must not miss the characteristic Christmas markets. Those in Trento can be reached by the train that departs from Malè station, while those in Bolzano or Merano are about an hour and a half drive away. The novelty of this year is that the markets will also take place in our splendid Val di Rabbi!