Summer solstice tradition

Mountains on fire in the Gastein Valley

Every year around the summer solstice , the "Mountains in Flames " are lit in the Gastein Valley. Numerous fires light up along the peaks and ridges in the evening, outlining the mountain ridges as bright lines in the darkness.

The custom goes back to the traditional celebration of the summer solstice and is still firmly anchored in the valley today. For locals it is a natural part of the annual calendar, for visitors it is a special landscape experience.

The event is clearly visible both from the valley and from elevated vantage points. For this reason, the mountain railroads offer extended operating hours on this evening to give as many visitors as possible a view of the illuminated mountains.

"Mountains in Flames" is not an event in the traditional sense. It is an evening where landscape, customs and people come together. Without a lot of staging - and that is precisely why it will be remembered.

Living tradition in the spirit of community

What looks like a large ribbon of lights from below is the result of careful preparation.

After all, there is a lot of work behind the spectacle: clubs and volunteers collect the necessary material weeks in advance and bring it to the designated locations. On the evening of the longest day of the year, the participants set off - often along steep and remote paths - to light the bonfires at nightfall.