Summer in Tyrol is celebrated with mountain fires. This ancient tradition is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We introduce you to this special custom.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus fires in Tyrol/Austria are a custom that is still practised today, particularly in the Tannheimer Tal and Kartitsch in East Tyrol. It commemorates Tyrol's resistance against Napoleon's troops in 1796, when the defence of the country against the approaching army was entrusted to the "Sacred Heart of Jesus". As a result of the "Sacred Heart of Jesus Vow", the Tyrolean Landsturm received a large influx of volunteers and was able to surprisingly repel the French superiority. At the same time, the mountain fires also served as communication signals visible from afar to summon the Landsturm. Originally, however, the Sacred Heart of Jesus fires can be traced back to pre-Christian midsummer and St John's fires.
There are essentially two categories of mountain fires in Tyrol. The first is the solstice fires, which are the most common. They are lit in June at the 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. They primarily commemorate the Tyrolean Landsturm'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. What all mountain fires have in common is that they are of pre-Christian origin.
