Stories from the mountain summer

Wish upon a star

Even the mightiest peaks of the Alps suddenly seem tiny after sunset. As the night reveals probably the most impressive natural spectacle in Zillertal: the starry sky.

There, wasn’t there one just now? Yes, and then another one right away, very bright and clearly visible! Shooting stars are undoubtedly among the most beautiful phenomena in the night sky. And if you believe that you can make a wish when you see them, there’s one thing you’d better not be on your summer holiday in Zillertal: perfectly happy without any wishes. In the past, people thought that the streaks of light in the sky were the stars’ “waste”. With the German word for shooting star, “Sternschnuppe”, the “Schnuppe” part is the name given to the burnt end of a candle wick, which often fell to the ground still glowing when it was  shortened. Today we know that shooting stars are tiny grains of rock from space that enter the Earth’s atmosphere and light up briefly as they burn up. 

Up to 100 shooting stars per hour

A particularly large number of the mini meteors can be observed every year in mid-August, when the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. You don’t need any special equipment for this, but you do need a good observation point: with an all-round view of the sky, far away from the lights of the big city. The conditions are ideal for shooting star hunters in Zillertal – especially on clear and cloudless nights.

“Three hours after sunset,  
the view extends particularly 
deep into the Milky Way.”

Good night up high

Zillertal is known for its dark night skies and low light pollution, making it a popular destination for stargazing and astrophotography. Anyone who wants to be as close to the sky as possible while stargazing has the option of spending the night up the mountain in one of the many highly recommended refuges. These high-alpine huts offer hikers cosy accommodation and delicious food. Once darkness falls, you can enjoy a spectacular view deep into the infinity of the Milky Way from here. By the way, it is darkest three hours after sunset.

The parents don’t get very far with their explanation – they are soon interrupted by a shout from Florian: “Dad! Mum! Look at this! Why is this water tap hovering in the air?” It really does look as if it is hovering on its own jet of water. The parents needn’t even take the trouble to explain that this has nothing to do with magic, but with an invisible glass column: Sarah has already found this out for herself, and the young trio is already on its way to the next wonder. 

Mountain fire with symbolic power

Another luminous spectacle can be observed when the longest day meets the shortest night: mountain fires are lit high up, often in special patterns or shapes. A medieval custom to welcome summer that has lost none of its magic. In some places you can also see Sacred Heart fires in the shape of hearts or crosses. This dates back to 1796, when the war against Napoleon hit the province of Tyrol. Signal fires were lit on certain peaks to communicate with faraway compatriots. All the fires have one thing in common today: They are only lit by professionals.

Pictures:Christoph Johann, Flo Smith, Thomas Pfister, Tom Klocker
Zillertal year-round magazine 2024

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