The most spectacular summer solstice fires in Tirol

The summer solstice fires, also known as Sacred Heart of Jesus fires, are a custom that is still practised today in Tirol, particularly in the Tannheimer Tal Valley and the village of Kartitsch in East Tirol. They commemorate Tirol's resistance against Napoleon's troops in 1796, when the defence of the region against the approaching army was entrusted to the ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus’. As a result of the ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus Vow’ the Tirolean troops received a large influx of volunteers and was surprisingly able to repel the French advance. At the same time, the mountain fires also served as communication signals visible from afar to summon the troops for battle. In fact, the original significance of the fires can be traced back even further to the pre-Christian midsummer and St John's fires.

There are essentially two categories of mountain fires in Tirol. The first are the solstice fires, which are the most common. They are lit in June at the summer solstice – or the weekend closest to it. Secondly, in a few regions there are the Sacred Heart of Jesus fires, which are usually lit around two weeks earlier. These commemorate Tirol's resistance against Napoleon's troops in 1796. The Brixental Valley mountain bonfires, which take place every year in August, are out of the ordinary due to their late date in the summer. What all mountain fires have in common is that they can trace their origins back to pre-Christian times.