Birmehlherbst in Verdignes and Pardell

An Isarco Valley peasant tradition

The Birmehlherbst (Birmehl Autumn) is a food and wine week that takes place every year in late September in the hamlets of Verdignes/Verdings and Pardell, above the town of Chiusa/Klausen, in South Tyrol (Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige). The event is dedicated to Birmehl, the dried pear flour that was once used by farming families as a natural sweetener when refined sugar was too expensive and hard to find.

Pears were harvested, cored, and dried until they became so-called Kloazen, then ground to obtain a sweet, fragrant flour. Thanks to the numerous pear trees surrounding the village, Verdignes was historically known as the Birmehldorf, the "village of pear flour." This long and complex process, which has almost disappeared today, returns to the spotlight during the Birmehlherbst.

The culinary week

Throughout the week, four local inns in Verdignes and Pardell offer a special menu entirely dedicated to Birmehl. Specialties you can taste include:

• pear flour dumplings (Birmehlknödel);
• Schlutzkrapfen and reinterpreted traditional dishes;
• Birmehl bread and cutlets;
• pear flour krapfen, pizza, and tiramisu.

The gastronomic route winds along the Birmehlweg, an easy circular path of about 90 minutes that starts from the village square of Verdignes, crosses arid meadows to the hamlet of Pardell, and then climbs back towards the Moar zu Viersch farm, returning along an ancient paved road. A shuttle service connects Verdignes and Pardell during the event days.

The Birmehl-Sunntig

The most anticipated moment is the Birmehl-Sunntig, the "pear flour Sunday" that concludes the week. Along the Birmehlweg, twelve tasting stations are set up, managed by local associations and restaurateurs, where you can savor regional specialties based on Birmehl. The day is enlivened by live music and entertainment activities for children and families. There is also an evocative guided evening tour (Nachtwanderung) that stops at three inns along the route.

An event in the municipality of Chiusa

The Birmehlherbst is organized by the Chiusa, Barbiano, Velturno and Villandro Tourist Cooperative together with the associations and merchants of Verdignes and Pardell. It represents one of the most characteristic autumn events in the Isarco Valley, capable of combining the rediscovery of a peasant tradition with conviviality and the discovery of a little-known corner of South Tyrol, among vineyards, woods, and ancient farmsteads.