Vierbergelauf

The Vierbergelauf - A Carinthian Custom
Always on Dreinagelfreitag = 14 days after Easter

A ritual hike reaching far back into ancient times, symbolically tracing the sun's course! The approx. 52 km long hike (Old High German, laufen = to go) leads over the 4 mountains of Carinthia north of Klagenfurt, starting from

1. Magdalensberg (formerly Helenenberg) via
2. Ulrichsberg
3. Veitsberg,
4. Lorenziberg, high above St. Veit

and lasts including some resting stations and church visits from Friday 0:00 until about 16:00, thus about 16 hours, during which a total of approx. 1,500 meters of elevation gain are covered. Along the way, the so-called mountain leaves from the 4 mountains are either pinned on the hat or on the walking stick:

1. Clubmoss
2. Carnelian leaf (ivy with red underside)
3. Boxwood
4. Juniper

The number of participants ranges between 3,000 and 7,000, covering all age groups. Most of the participants, coming from all German regions, take part for reasons of custom and the cheerful communal experience. They instinctively feel that there is a deeper meaning behind this custom, although the apparent motives for participation vary.
Taking along a sack of candy for the children (poem "A Carinthian Custom") is absolutely essential; these children wait for the hikers already early in the morning starting from Zweikirchen. Personal experiences have reported that once, in good weather, 1,000 pieces of candy counted were just enough, whereby every child may only receive one. Those who have used up their supply by Gradenegg will get an extra portion from us that will certainly suffice up to Lorenziberg.

The date of the Vierbergelauf is always on the second Friday after Easter. Easter Sunday is always the first Sunday after the spring full moon (first full moon after the spring equinox = day and night equally long). Therefore the date changes from year to year. The earliest possible date (if Easter falls on March 22) is April 3, the latest possible date (if Easter falls on April 25) is May 7. Accordingly, the weather conditions differ as well. Winter cold and sweat-inducing spring heat, knee-deep snow, muddy paths and dust-dry trails alternate. Various historical documents prove that the church was never truly happy with this custom. Nevertheless, it could not forbid it due to the strong popular piety.

Therapeutic effect:
As the body consumes more energy than the organism can supply, it draws on reserves and vagabond proteins, waste substances and degenerated cells are burned. A wonderful complement to the spring fasting cure. It burns the waste to CO2 and H2O vapor, which acts like laughing gas, as at the end of the run, all participants are happy and in a good mood!

A written message about this fascinating custom is contained in excerpt-like Latin records of the Viennese humanist Ladislaus Sunthaim from around 1500. They read in approximate translation:
"On the day of Christ's Cross Nails many Carinthian women run barefoot in one day over four mountains. These women come from the town of St. Veit and the surroundings of Helenenberg, Ulrichsberg, Lorenziberg and Veitsberg ... and they run silently and believe they can obtain everything they request and it is a great distance."