Lorenzinacht beim Knottnkino / St. Lawrence Night at Knottnkino

A night of falling stars on the rocks of Verano

The St. Lawrence Night at Knottnkino (known in German as Lorenzinacht beim Knottnkino) is one of the most poetic summer events in the municipality of Verano/Vöran, located on the sunny plateau overlooking Merano in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, Trentino-South Tyrol. Every year, around August 10th, the evening celebrates the night of St. Lawrence and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, when dozens of shooting stars streak across the summer sky.

The Knottnkino, the cinema on the rock

The setting is unique: the Knottnkino is an open-air cinema built by artist Franz Messner at an altitude of over 1,400 meters above the village of Verano. Thirty chestnut-wood seats are arranged on a porphyry rock spur, offering an immense panorama that stretches from the Adige Valley to the Passiria and Ultimo Valleys, reaching as far as the Dolomites and the Tessa Group. No films are projected here: the landscape itself is the screen, and on St. Lawrence Night, it becomes the celestial vault.

The evening program

The event begins at 7:30 PM with a breathtaking sunset over Merano and the Adige basin. As darkness falls, the astronomers of the Max Valier association take the stage, using their telescopes to guide sky observations, explain the Perseid phenomenon, and answer questions from the public. The evening also features a convivial moment with a small aperitif and snacks provided by the organizing tourist board.

• Location: Knottnkino, above Verano, at 1,400 m altitude
• Guided astronomical observation with telescopes
• Panoramic sunset over Merano and the Adige Valley
• Free admission, no registration required
• Event cancelled in case of bad weather

How to experience it

To reach the Knottnkino, leave your car at the designated parking area just before Verano near the Eggerhof, then continue on foot for about 45 minutes along the trail. We recommend bringing a picnic blanket, warm clothing, hiking boots, and a flashlight or headlamp for the return trip. The combination of high altitude, mountain silence, and clear skies makes the Knottnkino one of the best spots in South Tyrol to admire the shooting stars of St. Lawrence Night.