The Choir Festival gets bigger every year! Starting from the 2023 edition, the voice of the choirs is amplified and even reaches the air of the Valle Aurina. Located in the northernmost side of South Tyrol, this area is surrounded by 80 peaks which, like a crown, embrace the most magical places in South Tyrol.

Campo Tures is the gateway to these 630 km2 of territory which close with the medieval castle Taufers. Valle Aurina is a paradise for nature lovers, who here can choose from unique excursions on the 850 km of trails available, 164 typical alpine pastures and peaks over 3000 meters from which it seems to touch the sky. They are called 7 peaks: Ahrner Kopf in Casere (3,051 m), Monte Fumo in Predoi (3,251 m), Sasso Nero in San Giovanni (3,335 m), Picco Palu in Acereto (3,059 m), Sasso Lungo in Riva di Tures (3,235 m), Triangle in Riva di Tures (3,030 m), Weißzint in Selva dei Molini (3,347 m).

Valle Aurina, with its Campo Tures, has preserved its authentic and traditional Tyrolean charm intact, and for this reason it is the perfect place to bring the music of the Festival. Here, we will open with two concerts on June 16, including a sacred repertoire in the 16th-century church of San Maurizio, a small jewel of Gothic architecture in the Val Pusteria. And on 17 June, right in Campo Tures, the closing Galakonzert will be held, with twelve choirs and more than four hundred singers who will perform on the stage of the very central Musikpavillon.

What to see in Valle Aurina?

Among the most important excursions not to be missed is the one to Casere, the last village in the valley, from which stands the church of Santo Spirito, perched on a large boulder erratic with a conspicuous crack. It is said that an indulgence was granted in this church and this transformed it into a point of reference for pilgrims in transit. To be forgiven, patrons had to cross the crack in the rocks by crawling against the rock face that would cleanse them of their sins.

Not too far from here, another unmissable stop on the journey is the Cascate di Riva, which we talked about in this article. The walk is 2.5 km long and requires more or less an hour of walking which leads hikers to visit these three splendid waterfalls immersed in the woods, the last of which is 42 meters high. For the return, the fly line is not to be missed, which takes adults and children back to the valley with a "flight" in the middle of the trees. Just 2 km away you can visit the Castel Taufers, also known as Castel Tures: a medieval gem that rises white and majestic among the trees of the surrounding forest. In summer, it is possible to enter the courtyard area, the terraces and the attic of the ancient building without a guide. Taking a guide instead you can enter inside and visit twenty furnished rooms.

We can't wait to hear the notes of the Festival here too.