Kathreine Markt - Saint Catherine's Market in Mühlen in Taufers

The Kathreine Markt in Mühlen in Taufers

The Kathreine Markt, or Saint Catherine's Market, is a late autumn staple in Mühlen in Taufers, a village within the municipality of Sand in Taufers in the Taufers and Ahrn valleys (Autonomous Province of Bolzano, South Tyrol). Every year, on the Saturday closest to November 25th—the feast day of Saint Catherine ("Kothreine-Toug") and an ancient farmers' holiday—the village center transforms into a lively market filled with music, handicrafts, dancing, and regional flavors.

A tradition born in the 17th century

This market is one of the oldest in the Puster Valley: the first market regulations date back to the 17th century (between 1678 and 1697), when it was proclaimed a "princely free annual market." After being discontinued for many years, the Kathreine Markt was revived in 1998 through the initiative of Karl Weger and the Kothreine-Morscht-Komitee. Starting with just five stalls, it now hosts around thirty exhibitors. According to an old South Tyrolean saying, "Kathrein stellt den Tanz ein" ("Catherine puts an end to the dancing"): the festival marks the beginning of Advent, a period traditionally free of dancing, and Saint Catherine is the patron saint of folk dance groups.

What to find at the market

The stalls offer a wide selection of goods: clothing, sweets, footwear, gardening tools, haberdashery (the traditional "Tatlkroma"), and local handicrafts, alongside small animal markets and second-hand exchanges. A major focus is placed on farm products from the Taufers and Ahrn valleys: alpine cheese, homemade speck, honey, and cured meats. There is also no shortage of culinary specialties to enjoy on-site, such as spit-roasted chicken, roasted chestnuts, and baked potatoes, accompanied by hot tea and mulled wine.

Music, dance, and South Tyrolean flavors

The Kathreine Markt is more than just commerce: the center of Mühlen in Taufers fills with folk music, accordion players ("Ziechaspieler"), Schuhplattler groups, and traditional dances, including the famous Kothreinetonz (Saint Catherine's dance) and performances by children. Typical sweet and rustic specialties of the day include Melchamuis (a cream made of milk, flour, and butter), Böxhörnkneidl (buckwheat dumplings), and Schöttina Kropfn (filled sweet fritters). The atmosphere, scented with roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, makes the market one of the most cherished autumn events in the Tauferer Ahrntal.