The Johannifeuer in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Grainau is a great opportunity to experience local tradition. The solstice fire greets summer in the Alps on June 23-24.

Tour profile

Difficulty level: medium to difficult
Route length: approx. 7 km
ascents: 1,050 hm
descents: 0 hm

Although Grainau with the Waxenstein ridge It is one of the most beautiful solstice fires, this year we opt for a short trip to the Wank panoramic mountain, which today promises us a “magnificent view of the Johannifeuer in the surrounding Wetterstein, Karwendel and Ammer Mountains.”

The run

17:00: While my colleagues will later travel comfortably up the Wank by cable car, I opt for the sporty version and climb the summit, as the mountaineers have done before, to carry the firewood up. It starts with me on Esterbergstraße in Farchant (670 m above sea level), the signposted hiking trail heads towards Esterbergalm (1262 m). The meeting point with my colleagues is scheduled for around 7:30pm at the Wank summit (1780 m).

Despite perfect hiking weather in the valley, my backpack is full of warm clothing: the predicted night temperature in the valley is around 9 degrees Celsius, which is likely to be over 1100 meters in altitude and 0 degrees when there is a summit wind.

The trail runs comfortably across the northwest side of the Wank, which is protected from sun and wind. After 30 minutes, I make a short stop at the 'Sharp Eck' — next to the cute 'Farchanter Radhaus, 'which, by the way, got a new wooden roof and yellow walls last year. Another half hour and 4-5 turns — and I'm already standing on the forest road that leads to Esterbergalm.

18:00: The forest road is the steepest part of my tour, but offers some nice views of the Ammergebirge and Farchant. The former ski slope, which has not been used since 2004, is fairly narrow. The hut at the top is already closing and several hikers are coming to meet me on their way down the valley. Just before the hut, I follow the sign 'Wank über Frauenmahd' and turn right. Here I am taking my second break at the well, in the middle of the cow pasture. The cows graze peacefully around me and I simply enjoy the view of Frickenspitze, Esterbergalm and Farchanter Alm.

19:00: The last third of my mountain run is really enjoyable. The trail runs in small serpentines, surrounded by mountain pines and alpine roses, and the evening sun casts a soft light over the slopes. The three giants of the Bavarian Prealps — the Hohe Fricken (1940 m), the bishop (2033 m) and the Krottenkopf (2086 m) - form a magnificent mountain panorama in front of me. The two huts are located far below. Shortly before the summit, there is another viewpoint with a wonderful view of Farchant.

The summit

19:40: The Wank summit is flat and windy. My tour ends here at the summit cross. With the last rays of sunshine I run on Wankhaus Stop by and meet my colleagues at the Wankbahn. There is already no space available at the Sonnenalm at the gondola station, but in the Wankhaus a little higher up we are lucky and get one last of the coveted tables this evening.

8:30pm: The house is full and there are more and more guests who want to bridge the time until sunset. The view is breathtaking in all directions. However, the fresh mountain air outside is slowly becoming icy. The first St. John's bonfires can already be seen on the adjacent mountains — unfortunately not as many as always this year due to weather conditions.

The fire

21:30: The sun has completely disappeared behind Kramerspitze. It gets significantly darker and the fire chain on the Wank is ignited, as well as the large campfire. We leave the Wankhaus and walk along the summit to fully enjoy the unforgettable fire show. Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Grainau and Farchant are glowing downstairs, mountain fires are everywhere upstairs. The light cross on the Zugspitze wall above Grainau, which is decorated again and again every year, is particularly distinctive. I'm thinking of the locals Johannifeuer enthusiasts, which allow us to continue to experience the tradition. Finally, we meet at the big Johannifeuer, which radiates warmth and comfort on the bare Wank summit.

By the way, the lighting of St. John's bonfires has been known since the 12th century and it is great that a Such an old tradition is still being lived today. We owe this in particular to the brave mountaineers who light fireplaces in the sometimes very rugged areas.

10:30 p.m.: The fires slowly go out and we slowly take the Wankbahn down. The train is slow, but the night panorama of Garmisch-Partenkirchen is fantastic — and rarely enjoyed, as the Wankbahn is only open until 5 pm in summer. Along the way, we repeatedly notice isolated hikers walking through the mountain forest with headlamps. It is significantly warmer at the parking lot in Partenkirchen. After the impressive evening, we are all tired and everyone is now looking forward to their warm home.

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