Herbst³Zeit HEUGABEL: Artisan and Farmers' Market

HEUGABEL: The farmers' and artisans' autumn in San Candido

In the heart of the Upper Puster Valley, the town of San Candido/Innichen (Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige) celebrates the arrival of autumn every September with HEUGABEL: Handwerks- und Bauernmarkt, an artisan and farmers' market that brings the Piazza del Magistrato (Pflegplatz) to life. San Candido is remembered as one of the oldest market towns in South Tyrol, and this event is deeply rooted in that long tradition of fairs and markets.

The meaning of the name

The name Heugabel (literally "hay fork") combines two German words rich in meaning: HEU, hay, representing the world of farmers and the products of the land, and GABEL, fork, a symbol of the culinary specialties prepared after the harvest. A play on words that summarizes the soul of the market: the deep bond between mountain agriculture, manual skills, and peasant cuisine.

Artisans at work and products of the land

On the Pflegplatz, local farmers display and sell their natural products, while around twenty artisans demonstrate traditional crafts that might otherwise disappear: you will find goldsmiths, weavers, lace makers, blacksmiths, potters, and basket makers, each engaged in demonstrations before the public. Every year, the market is joined by numerous regional producers from South Tyrol and East Tyrol, who expand the offering with natural specialties and typical products from the alpine valleys.

The Heugabelfest and Puster Valley cuisine

The gastronomic heart of the event is the Heugabelfest: local farm women prepare homemade delicacies and serve traditional Puster Valley specialties to guests, including Niggilan and Tirtlan, along with other home-cooked dishes. The atmosphere is made even more authentic by Tyrolean folk music, with local folk groups accompanying the two days of the market.

Part of the Three Peaks Dolomites Golden Autumn

HEUGABEL is one of the flagship events of Herbst³Zeit / Golden Autumn, the program that celebrates the nature, gastronomy, and authentic traditions of the Three Peaks (Drei Zinnen) Dolomites region from September to November. Between guided hikes, traditional festivals, and regional markets, the San Candido market represents one of the most cherished moments of the season, attracting visitors from across the Province of Bolzano and the surrounding valleys.

A market of tradition

With its long history, HEUGABEL has become a symbol of the farming and artisan identity of the Upper Puster Valley: an opportunity to rediscover manual skills, taste the genuine flavors of the mountains, and experience Tyrolean hospitality in one of the most characteristic historic centers of the Dolomites.