Brauneck Bonfire Celebration
After I learned that I'll miss all summer solstice celebration events when the holiday actually happens, I was really disappointed. To my surprise, Lenggries decided to postpone their event a week due to the heat wave pressing on Bavaria. They announced that the event will be held on Brauneck (1555 m), which I conveniently skipped during my Benediktenwand (1800 m) hike. The danger of fire was still there (and the temperature got even worse). So the venue made the decision to replace the actual bonfire with a LED installation, having a fire show with professional showmen instead. With the hike to Drachensee being on the easier side, this trip also promised to be reasonable, even in this weather. I sent out the invites to a few hiking chats and my work chat, but only David from my Kofel (1342 m) hike responded.
The route started hot as expected. With 35-36 degrees outside, we just hurried across the town and the beginner slope to get to the tree shade. The asphalt was so hot in places that you could see melted bumps and cracks in more exposed areas of the road. The slope wasn't much better. It's a dirt/gravel road for offroad vehicles, so every step we took brought a cloud of dust into our lungs.
It was a bit of a shame to skip a few cliffs and peaks on the way, but the show at the top should have been worth the sacrifice. Not to get ahead of myself here, but it definitely was. As we were walking up and chatting, we came to a group of cows. Normally, we'd just walk around them, but they perked up their heads and walked over to deliberately block our path. Still, we walked between them without causing their wrath.
As we walked higher and passed lake Speichersee Garland, I started making breaks more and more often, as the heat started getting to me. This whole section was again exposed, and the sun was relentless, so it was kind of to be expected.
The main nice thing along the way up was looking at the moving cable car and the mountains across the valley, like Rechelkopf (1330 m) that I recently visited. The flies were also becoming an obstacle, some big ones landing on our feet and biting us. As the preparations for the event were ongoing, SUVs were constantly driving up and down, tossing up more dust and forcing us onto the bare slope.
As we reached the shallow part of the Brauneck (1555 m) peak, a new panorama opened up in front of us. To the east, we got to see Seekarkreuz (1601 m) and Buchstein (1701 m). To the west, we saw the continuation of the ridge towards Kochel, including Benediktenwand (1800 m).
I saw it during my older hikes in the area, but Brauneck (1555 m) is a very beloved spot for paragliders. The whole sky was covered in them, and they used the top of the mountain as their starting point. Since we still had more than two hours until the bonfire event started, we sat on a bench near the paragliders for a while and observed their preparations. The way they unpacked the gear, lined up the direction of take-off, untangled and set up the cables, clipped the straps. Everything was methodical, thought out, calm, almost meditative. They were mostly silent, everyone paying attention only to themselves, but activating their walkie-talkies to communicate in the air. Some of them planned to come down for the event, others just enjoyed the sunset and flew down to Lenggries.
I looked in the direction the paragliders were flying. Quite a few attempted to glide all the way to Bad Tölz, where I finished my Blomberg (1203 m) hike. In the meantime, 8 o'clock came around, and the sun slowly started to set. The sky, previously blue and spotless, started gathering clouds and becoming yellow. We took our chance and went to the restaurant at the cable car building, enjoying some drinks and a DJ, waiting for the show to get going.
As we waited longer, the yellow sun started taking on strawberry-like colors, with a full pallet of yellows and oranges reflecting off the clouds. It was a mesmerising view, further enhanced by the relaxed atmosphere of the party. Everyone around us was enjoying their time, getting cocktails from the bar or chatting about mundane happenings. Soon after, the organizers lit up the artificial bonfire, which was already standing out despite the remaining rays of sun.
The sky started turning red, then caught some purple shades and started dimming. The show was also ready to get started. The hikers and local residents hurried to the bonfire to get a nice viewing spot. To test the pyrotechnics and give viewers a test of what's to come, the show started with a nice music piece with automated fire spewing upwards in tune with the music.
Then the real display started, with one performer playing an electric guitar while the other juggled fire rods, crackling ropes, flaming balls and fiery chains, all while the automatic flamethrowers were still being activated in the background.
The show ended on a high note, everyone had their fun, thanked the performers and hurried to the cable car. The last train was leaving in fifty minutes, and there was still quite a way to go. We took the cable car with a pair of Lenggries locals, walked over and got to the train with five minutes to spare. It was definitely one of the more memorable adventures, topping some of my long-time favorites like Brünnstein (1619 m) and Laber (1682 m).
Now, the conclusion has to be split between the event and the hike. While the route is easy and accessible for families and pets, the views may not pay off the required 8 km of distance in each direction. The 14 Euro (as of 2026) cable car does make it better, but still, Wallberg (1722 m) may be a better choice for many.
As for the event, I would say it is must-see. Of course, you don't have to go to Brauneck (1555 m) every year. Feel free to enjoy similar events on other summits and near mountain huts, or go for a village vibe in the smaller towns and communities. Still, the unifying atmosphere of a relaxing evening with nice scenery and a foreground bonfire is similar everywhere, and the occasional shows around it make the visit even better.