Solstice bonfire in the Montafon

When the longest day and the shortest night meet, mountain bonfires are lit in many places.

Around June 20, mountain lovers climb up into the heights with torches and wood to celebrate this centuries-old ritual. Even in the Middle Ages, people gathered to hope for luck, blessings and healing in the glow of fire. While today the focus is on the solstice, in the past it was mainly the night of June 24, St. John's Day, when the fires were lit - a custom that is deeply connected to nature and the seasons.