Mountain bonfire on the Glungezer
The mountain bonfires are an exciting annual event, which would be virtually impossible to organise on this scale without the help of many volunteers. With great attention to detail, thousands of torches in the shape of doves of peace, crosses or hearts are set up on the mountain slopes and summits and lit after dark.
Most mountain bonfires can be seen at the summer solstice on 21 June. Colloquially, they are also referred to as ‘Heart of Jesus’ fires’ or ‘St John’s fires’. In the following blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what this is all about and what the difference is.
However, the mountain fires do have one thing in common: since 2010, they have been part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list!
Sacred Heart Bonfire
The Herz-Jesu-Feuer is a fire tradition that originated in Tyrol in the 18th century; it is still practised throughout the region today and is linked to the veneration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In the spring of 1796, Napoleon’s war took Tyrol completely by surprise, and the Tyroleans were consequently unprepared. To discuss the situation, the provincial estates of Tyrol met in Bolzano. In the face of the imminent threat posed by the French troops, and in order to secure divine assistance, they solemnly vowed to entrust the land to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This vow is to be commemorated anew every year.
Following Tyrol’s rather surprising victory over the French troops, Sacred Heart Sunday was celebrated on the third Sunday after Pentecost. When Andreas Hofer renewed the vow before the Battle of Bergisel against the French and Bavarians and subsequently emerged victorious, Sacred Heart Sunday was declared a major public holiday.
Ever since then, this event has been commemorated annually with the Sacred Heart bonfires. Traditionally, Christian symbols such as crosses, the Sacred Heart, or the inscriptions INRI or IHS can be seen at the Sacred Heart bonfires.
A historical overview of the solstice bonfires
In Tyrol, so-called mountain bonfires have been lit since the 14th century. They are known by a wide variety of names. People refer to them as the solstice bonfire, the Sacred Heart bonfire or the St John’s bonfire. On this night, the Tyrolean mountain peaks compete to see which can shine the brightest. Some of them are already part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Astronomical summer begins on 21 June with the summer solstice. It is the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The reason why the solstice bonfires in Tyrol are also known as ‘Herz-Jesu-Feuer’ (Sacred Heart Fires) lies in the Tyroleans’ resistance against Napoleon’s troops in 1796. Following the Sacred Heart Oath and the Tyroleans’ repulsion of the French and Bavarian troops in 1796, the solstice bonfires were reinterpreted as ‘Sacred Heart Fires’ in commemoration of this historic event.
The term ‘St John’s Fire’ is associated with St John and St John’s Day. St John’s Day is the Solemnity of the Nativity of St John the Baptist on 24 June. It is therefore closely linked to the solstice bonfires.
Up the Glungezer in the evening
On Saturday at around 6.00 pm, we set off for Tulfes and took a leisurely ride on the new gondola lift up to the Tulfeinalm mountain station. Despite the forecast of thunderstorms, the weather held up very well and we enjoyed the cool air up on the mountain, as temperatures in the valley had climbed to over 32 degrees Celsius during the day.
Once we reached the top, we walked to the newly built Zirbensee. It was an enjoyable walk along a truly delightful path. Everything is still quite new and a work in progress, but there are already plenty of highlights made from Swiss stone pine to admire along the way – be it the entrance gate to Zirbensee, the viewing platform or the wide variety of benches and rest areas crafted from Swiss stone pine.
A few people had already made themselves comfortable around the lake to admire the surrounding solstice bonfires as dusk fell. In the meantime, we decided to have dinner at the Tulfeinalm. Incidentally, we’ve already spotted the first alpine roses. It will probably be a while yet before they’re in full bloom. This alpine flower can be admired particularly along the well-known Zirbenweg, this alpine flower can be admired.
Twilight: the spectacle begins
As dusk fell, the clouds behind us grew darker and darker. There was no doubt we would experience heavy showers later that day. After refuelling at the Tulfeinalm, we managed just in time to see the pyre being lit before the rain caught up with us shortly afterwards. Across on the Nordkette, we could already make out a few mountain bonfires. As well as simple fires, there were frequent spectacular fire displays featuring various motifs and symbols. In any case, the evening was a great success and a real adventure for the children. After all, it’s not every day you get to ride the gondola at night: at the Glungezer, this is possible again on the Moonlight Rides.