Fackelabfahrt am Silvester (New Year's Eve Torchlight Descent)

The New Year's Eve torchlight descent in Nova Ponente/Deutschnofen

The Fackelabfahrt am Silvester, or New Year's Eve Torchlight Descent, is one of the most evocative traditions with which the village of Nova Ponente/Deutschnofen, in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano (South Tyrol), bids farewell to the passing year. On the evening of December 31st, on the local ski lift (Dorflift Deutschnofen), skiers, instructors, and enthusiasts descend the slope holding lit torches: in the darkness of the Dolomite winter, a long trail of light forms as it glides from the top to the valley, welcomed by the applause of residents and guests.

A tradition of the Eggental plateau

The torchlight descent is a deeply rooted tradition in the skiing community of Nova Ponente/Deutschnofen, which symbolically concludes the year with this luminous ritual. The event takes place at the Dorflift, the small local ski lift open daily from mid-December until spring and equipped with artificial snowmaking: a family-friendly facility that becomes the heart of village life in winter. The initiative is promoted by the Dorflift Deutschnofen Genossenschaft cooperative together with the Eggental tourism association, which brings together the localities of the plateau at the foot of the Latemar.

Hot tea and mulled wine at Bar Arche

No registration is required: those who wish to participate or watch simply head to the valley station of the ski lift. At the end of the descent, the meeting point is at Bar Arche, at the edge of the slope, where hot tea and mulled wine are offered in a festive atmosphere. It is the perfect moment to exchange greetings and wait for midnight together, amidst the village lights and the snow of the plateau's meadows.

A New Year's Eve in the Dolomites

The New Year's Eve Torchlight Descent is part of the winter calendar of the Eggental and the Obereggen–Latemar ski area, famous for its ski slopes and night events. For those spending the holidays in South Tyrol, it represents an authentic and free way to experience the transition to the New Year, immersed in the landscape of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.