There are two days in the spring and the summer in Elm when sunrise is especially eagerly anticipated. Or to be precise, the spectacle takes place shortly before sunrise. For it is then that the sun shines through the Martin's Hole directly onto the Church of Elm.

The little village of Elm lies way up at the top in Sernf Valley (Glarus), which is separated from Flims (Graubünden) by the prominent Tschingel Horns, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Swiss Tectonic Arena", a place where once upon a time older rock layers pushed themselves up over younger rock layers. People have been fascinated by the natural phenomenon of the sun-hole in the rock face for hundreds of years. It gave rise to the legend of heroic Martin and the evil Giant - the hole was punched out when they fought.

To this day, the 22x19meter wide rock window and the sun appearances and phenomena it creates, intrigue people. Even astronomers are fond of making a pilgrimage to Elm on March 12 and 13, and on September 30 and October 1. The moon too is visible in the Martin's Hole at certain intervals.