New Year's Eve Torchlight Procession with the Bear Bonfire

An Alpine tradition in the heart of the Vanoi Valley

The New Year's Eve Torchlight Procession with the Bear Bonfire is one of the most heartfelt and evocative events of New Year's Eve in Caoria, a village in the municipality of Canal San Bovo, in the province of Trento (Trentino-Alto Adige). Nestled in the Vanoi Valley—the "green heart of Trentino"—at the foot of Mount Cauriol and the Lagorai chain, Caoria preserves a popular tradition that unites the entire community on the last night of the year.

The torchlight descent along the Scalon road

The meeting point is set for the evening, around 9:30 PM, at the third hairpin bend of the Scalon road above the village. From here, the torchlight procession begins, splitting into two groups: one travels the route on foot, while the other descends on skis when snow conditions allow. The torches draw a glowing trail through the darkness of the snowy mountains, creating one of the most characteristic spectacles of the Vanoi winter.

The burning of the "vecio orso"

Upon reaching the square near the church of San Giovanni Nepomuceno, a large bonfire is lit to burn the "old bear", a symbolic figure representing the village and the year about to end. The burning of the bear represents a farewell to the past and a propitiatory wish for the new year, in a ritual deeply rooted in the peasant and alpine culture of the Trentino valleys.

Chestnut roast and best New Year's dessert

At the end of the ceremony, the festivities continue with refreshments and a chestnut roast, allowing everyone to warm up together by the fire. The event also features the award ceremony for the best New Year's dessert, a delicious competition involving local families that celebrates the local confectionery tradition. The event is organized with passion by the Caoria Alpini Group, the guardians of many of the village's traditions.

An authentic New Year's in the mountains

Far from commercial events, the Caoria New Year's Eve Torchlight Procession offers a genuine, community-focused New Year's celebration, perfect for those spending their winter holidays in the Vanoi Valley or Canal San Bovo. It is an opportunity to discover an authentic corner of Trentino, located between the Paneveggio-Pale di San Martino Natural Park, the Vanoi Ethnographic Trail, and the Caoria Great War Museum.