It’s a great time of year to be in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, when the St. John’s bonfires will glow from neighboring mountaintops. Garmisch isn’t the only Alpine community that sets the hills alight; also witness the phenomenon in Grainau, where the Waxensteinkamm will be transformed into a twinkling chain of lights.

Austria’s Zugspitz Arena is another area that stages a spectacle around the summer solstice. Also on Saturday, the valley around Ehrwald, Lermoos and Biberwier will be illuminated by thousands of fires depicting crosses, hearts, deer and other figures from the Bible and mythology.