Method for automatic orientation of antennas (1125, 1225) of stations of a radio relay system, wherein one station is configured as a master and at least one other station is configured as a slave and wherein, in a first phase - the master and the slave perform a rough scan to determine a reciprocal rough orientation in which the master and the slave can exchange signals with one another; and wherein, in a second phase - after the rough orientation has been identified and configured, - the master determines a control beam direction of the master, hereinafter referred to as the master control beam direction, and a control beam direction of the slave, hereinafter referred to as the slave control beam direction, and specifies the slave control beam direction for the slave, - subsequently, over a number of iterations, - the master specifies for the slave a new slave beam direction and a dwell time in which the slave should receive in this new slave beam direction, - the master then sends search signals in a predetermined number of its master beam directions without remaining for a waiting time in the master beam directions, - during the dwell time, the slave performs a signal quality parameter determination for each received signal, and stores its results, - after the expiry of the dwell time, the master configures the master control beam direction and the slave configures the slave control beam direction and the slave transmits the results of the signal quality parameter determination to the master, - on the basis of the signal quality parameter determination, an optimal reciprocal orientation of the antennas (1125, 1225) of the master and the slave is determined and these are oriented accordingly. - the master and the slave perform a rough scan to determine a reciprocal rough orientation in which the master and the slave can exchange signals with one another; - after the rough orientation has been identified and configured, - the master determines a control beam direction of the master, hereinafter referred to as the master control beam direction, and a control beam direction of the slave, hereinafter referred to as the slave control beam direction, and specifies the slave control beam direction for the slave, - subsequently, over a number of iterations, - the master specifies for the slave a new slave beam direction and a dwell time in which the slave should receive in this new slave beam direction, - the master then sends search signals in a predetermined number of its master beam directions without remaining for a waiting time in the master beam directions, - during the dwell time, the slave performs a signal quality parameter determination for each received signal, and stores its results, - after the expiry of the dwell time, the master configures the master control beam direction and the slave configures the slave control beam direction and the slave transmits the results of the signal quality parameter determination to the master, - the master specifies for the slave a new slave beam direction and a dwell time in which the slave should receive in this new slave beam direction, - the master then sends search signals in a predetermined number of its master beam directions without remaining for a waiting time in the master beam directions, - during the dwell time, the slave performs a signal quality parameter determination for each received signal, and stores its results, - after the expiry of the dwell time, the master configures the master control beam direction and the slave configures the slave control beam direction and the slave transmits the results of the signal quality parameter determination to the master, - on the basis of the signal quality parameter determination, an optimal reciprocal orientation of the antennas (1125, 1225) of the master and the slave is determined and these are oriented accordingly.