Midsummer Solstice in Schladming

Even the longest day of the year can pick up pace, as the Austrian National Tourist Office finds out at a global gathering in Schladming.

We stumble out of the conference hall, dazed by the glare of the afternoon sun. Days, weeks, months could have passed since we entered – well, that morning – and the initial euphoria of being reunited with colleagues from across the world has been reduced to scenes of solidarity such as splitting leftover  biscuits and sharing final drops of water. The scheduled activities, however, are by far not over. This is midsummer solstice – the longest day of the year – and we are to find out how the Austrian region of Schladming-Dachstein celebrates once dusk has crept in.

The troop ploughs to the Planai valley station where groups of six are bundled into cabins as they sweep by. After eight hours of seminars with more than 200 people, a blissful silence takes hold of the cable car as it sways its way up above Schladming. Looking out across the popular ski resort in summer is like watching your neighbour fetch the paper in his pyjamas – same traits, different perspective. The hotels turn steaming outdoor tubs into refreshing pools and the bars replace fragrant Glühwein by the fire with ice-cold drinks on the terrace. Our cabin follows the trail of once pristine white slopes speckled with skiers, long dissolved into crisp pastures entwined by dusty tracks and the odd pair of ramblers or a thrill-seeker on a bike here and there. Then, at 2000m, the doors jolt open, thrusting us out onto a dimming plateau.

What could revive the weary soul more than a view of the mighty Dachstein Mountain? A tourist board rep with schnapps! One fiery shot gets the blood pumping again for a hike around the mountain top, bringing us full circle (or so we believe – there’s no messing with that home-distilled Austrian stuff!) to the Schafalm hut for dinner. Darkness has drawn over the peaks outside the windows, creeping across the benches in muddy puddles that blend seamlessly with the wooden beams and rustic trophies hanging from the walls. Golden chicken legs, plump potatoes and onion-encrusted Kasnocken are piled centre table, and we waste no time stacking our plates with piping hot delights. We have soon devoured the hearty feast, and once the dishes have been cleared away and top buttons loosened our hosts announce that it is time to head outside for the height of midsummer solstice – the Sonnwendfeuer!

Several teepee-like wooden structures scatter the landscape in a boy scout meets Guy Fawkes scenario. One by one the bonfires are lit, their flames hungrily gaining heat and radiating a glow across the mountain top. As we huddle against the nighttime air, identical fires begin to appear on slopes opposite, until finally the entire panorama is ablaze with midsummer light. I think of the congress centre, 2000m below, now dozing with its belly full of corporate strategies and achievements. I think of the road, winding its way through valleys linked by ancient tradition to the airport, where we arrived the longest day of the year ago. I think of London, from the top of a mountain encompassed in flames, and really all that is left for me to think of is “How time flies!”





original on treasures.austria.info