Martinsloch: Sun pierces rock to light up Swiss village
The bell tower of the Gothic church in the village of Elm in eastern Switzerland was illuminated on Friday morning by a ray of sunlight passing through the Martinsloch (Martin’s Hole), a natural 17-metre high and 19-metre wide hole in a rock face five kilometres away.
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The phenomenon can be observed, only under clear skies, twice a year: one week before the beginning of spring and after the beginning of autumn.
According to legendExternal link – the best-known legend, anyway – a shepherd, Martin, was tending to his animals on the Elm side of the mountain. “One day, a giant from Flims attacked his flock and tried to steal some of his sheep,” a Flims tourism site explainsExternal link. “However, Martin defended his animals valiantly and the giant fled. Martin hurled his crook after the giant, but it missed and struck the Tschingelhörner. A mighty roar and clatter rang out, and a vast sea of rocks crashed down to the valley. Once the dust had settled and calm was restored, a triangular-shaped hole could be seen in the rock face.”
According to geologistsExternal link, “two weak zones intersect in Martinsloch: a dark band of flysch rock that is susceptible to erosion and a fissure in the limestone. This allowed the rock in this area to be eroded more quickly, creating the Martinsloch”.
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Adapted from Italian by AI/ts
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