Valas Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt Flaas)

A rural Christmas market on the Salto plateau

The Valas Christmas Market, known in German as Weihnachtsmarkt Flaas, takes place in the center of the small village of Valas/Flaas, one of the farmsteads and settlements in the municipality of San Genesio Atesino (Jenesien). Nestled on the Salto (Tschögglberg) plateau just a few kilometers from Bolzano, in the heart of South Tyrol, it offers a unique experience. Here, where sunny meadows and larch forests overlook the Bolzano basin, Advent is experienced in an intimate, village-style setting, quite different from the large city markets.

Crafts, tradition, and flavors of the Tschögglberg

The market was born from the initiative of the Südtiroler Bauernjugend Flaas, the local South Tyrolean rural youth group, which enlivens the town center every year with carefully curated stalls and a fully volunteer-run organization. Among the stalls, you will find:

• handmade local crafts, including wooden objects, textiles, and small creations made by the residents;
• handcrafted Christmas decorations and ornaments, perfect for your tree and home;
• local gastronomic specialties, Advent sweets, and farm products;
• the inevitable mulled wine (Glühwein), served hot and spiced.

The tradition of mulled wine

In Valas/Flaas, the mulled wine stand is a true institution: set up every year during the Advent period, it becomes a meeting point for the village residents until Christmas. The market marks the official opening of this tradition, which continues in the following weeks with evenings dedicated to Glühwein in the town center, keeping the conviviality and community spirit typical of the Tschögglberg farmsteads alive.

An authentic experience near Bolzano

Those looking for a cozy alternative to the large city markets will find a warm and familiar atmosphere in Valas, immersed in the alpine landscape of the plateau. The panoramic location of San Genesio Atesino, which can also be reached by cable car from Bolzano, makes a visit the perfect opportunity to discover one of the most charming corners of the Salto during Advent, amidst mountain air, the scent of spices, and the warmth of the local community.