Live Folklore, Dances, and a Barbecue on the PANORAMA Restaurant Terrace
The year-round family mountain resort BACHLEDKA invites you on Saturday, July 4, 2026, to the Day of Goral Traditions, which will carry the theme of “Saint John”! From 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM, a rich program full of energetic dancing and captivating singing by the Folklore Ensemble Goral from Ždiar awaits all lovers of tradition. The terrace of the design PANORAMA Restaurant will transform into a live stage, resounding with the lively tones of Goral music and the strong voices of singers, all complemented by the aroma of great food. Visitors will be able to enjoy juicy specialties right off the grill while watching folklore performances with a breathtaking view of the Belianske Tatras.
The Archaic Midsummer Night Customs of Ždiar
The customs practiced in Ždiar on Saint John’s Day are among the most archaic and fascinating manifestations of folk culture. They stem from original pagan celebrations of the summer solstice, which were later, under the influence of Christianity, linked to the feast of Saint John the Baptist. In the past, young men from Ždiar made special torches from young trees stripped of their branches, known as “sobutki”. At the top, they shaped a chalice out of spruce bark, which had to be peeled and shaped while fresh to remain pliable and flexible. They then collected forest pitch into this chalice, which, when lit, created a thick, beautifully fragrant smoke. The traditional attire of these young men also included unique bark hats, richly decorated with juniper and spruce twigs, complemented by rare clubmosses. With these burning torches in their hands and natural hats on their heads, the young Gorals marched through the village and the surrounding hills. After sticking the torches into the ground, unbridled fun began. They danced boys’ “hajdúchy”—circular odzemok dances, or dances combined with the girls. These magical moments and the authentic atmosphere were also captured by the famous artist and ethnographer Karol Plicka in his legendary 1929 film Po horách, po dolách (Over Mountains, Over Valleys).
Although huge bonfires gradually replaced the traditional “sobutki” in the second half of the 20th century, their symbolism and legacy live on in the hearts of the Gorals to this day. It is exactly this magical atmosphere that the Ždiar folklorists will bring to the ridge of Spišská Magura, right below the Treetop Walk.
