“Zusslrennen“ in Prato allo Stelvio

Carnival is the craziest time of the year and in South Tyrol special customs take place during this time. One of these is the so-called „Zusslrennen“, the Zussl race in Prato allo Stelvio. The banishing of winter and the race of the Zussl are ancient traditional customs practiced only in Prato allo Stelvio. Every year at this time, there is a carnival procession and a noisy ritual repeated exactly the same way. On Shrove Tuesday the town’s youth wear white costumes adorned with colored flowers made of paper and large bells, some as heavy as 20 kg, are worn around the waist of the males.