Kirchtag in Niederlana – Assumption Day

The Kirchtag in Niederlana: Celebrating the Assumption in Lana

The Kirchtag in Niederlana – Maria Himmelfahrt is the patronal festival held every year on August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption, in the district of Niederlana, part of the municipality of Lana in the province of Bolzano, Trentino-South Tyrol. In German, «Kirchtag» refers to the festival linked to the parish church and its patron saint: here, the parish church is dedicated to Maria Assunta (Our Lady of the Assumption), which gives the festival its name.

The Church of the Assumption and the Schnatterpeck Altar

The Pfarrkirche of Niederlana is one of the most famous churches in South Tyrol: it houses the monumental wooden altar by Hans Schnatterpeck, the largest late-Gothic winged altar in the Alpine region, created in the early 16th century. It is no coincidence that the street running alongside the building is named Schnatterpeckstraße. The Assumption festival is therefore the perfect opportunity to rediscover this extraordinary artistic and religious heritage.

The Procession and the Program

The heart of the day is the solemn Assumption procession, which leaves the parish church of Niederlana in the morning, travels along the Schnatterpeckstraße to the intersection, and then returns. Following the religious celebrations, the social festivities begin with popular entertainment hosted by the Bauernjugend Lana, the local youth farmers' association that has organized the event for years. The day is accompanied by music from local brass bands, who traditionally participate in Lana's community celebrations.

• Procession: Departs in the morning from the Pfarrkirche Niederlana along the Schnatterpeckstraße
• Popular Festival: Held in the Mesnerhaus courtyard and the streets of the district, featuring local food, wine, and music
• Free admission to the entire event

A Tradition of the Lana Community

The Kirchtag in Niederlana is much more than a liturgical event: it is a defining appointment for the people of Lana, who gather around their church on Ferragosto. The festival weaves together devotion, rural tradition, and South Tyrolean hospitality, offering residents and visitors an authentic glimpse into the popular culture of the Burggrafenamt, the Merano basin dotted with apple orchards and vineyards that surrounds Lana.