Funken bonfires & midsummer fires

Funkensonntag is the first Sunday after Ash Wednesday and, throughout the Alemannic region – Vorarlberg, Allgäu, Liechtenstein, eastern Switzerland – the day on which winter is burnt. In every Montafon village, including St. Gallenkirch and Gortipohl, the local Funkenzunft (bonfire guild) stacks a wood pile several metres high around a fir tree in the days before; on top sits the Funkenhexe, a witch figure made of straw and cloth. After dark the Funken is lit; if the witch bursts with a bang, it is taken as a good omen for the year. There is mulled wine and Funkenküchle, a yeast pastry fried in fat. The custom is listed in Austria's inventory of intangible cultural heritage. Dates: 22 February 2026, 14 February 2027 – the day follows the church calendar.

At the summer solstice around 21 June, mountain fires glow on the slopes around the valley on a weekend evening; they are best seen from the valley floor or from a balcony in Gortipohl. Unlike the Funken, this is not an ancient tradition: according to the Stand Montafon the solstice fires only came to the valley around 1900 and are documented from Schruns since the 1920s. Both customs cost nothing, take place within walking distance of our house and are an experience for children – dress warmly in February, and at the Funken keep the distance set by the guild.

Last updated: 13 Sep 2026