Midsummer bonfires and bonfire-burning
19 June 2027 – The night when the mountains glow
When the longest day meets the shortest night, summer on the Wilder Kaiser is welcomed with bonfires on the mountain. It is an ancient tradition that forms part of UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage.
Every year, numerous local clubs set out to light their bonfires on this evening, celebrating the longest day of the year. Shortly after nightfall, huge solstice bonfires glow from the mountains, creating a mystical backdrop. The fires are also known as St John’s Fires or ‘Feuerbrennen’ .
In many places across Tyrol, the Sacred Heart Fire is also lit. This tradition dates back to the Oath of the Sacred Heart in 1796, which was intended to unite the Tyroleans in their fight against the French and the Bavarians. Mountain fires were lit at that time as a symbol of the oath.
