Last updated on October 21, 2015
Today is the first day of autumn and like every year I think back about my childhood. The first day off fall was always a special Holiday in the region where I lived, when I was a child. It was the day when the cows came back to our farm, after they had spent the summer high up in the mountains.
A third of the fields and pastures that belonged to our farm, where located high up in the mountain area and every year in April, shortly after all the snow had melted, a herder walked all the cows up into the Alps. I often walked with him, to make sure we didn’t lose any cows on the way. The Alp fields are not easy to maintain, they can’t be reached with tractors or cars, the way up there is steep and long. The cows loved it, the air is cooler up there, the grass is fresh and the milk tastes better and is used to make butter and famous cheese.
The time spent up in the mountains is not always easy for the herders. They live a rather simple and lonely life and carry a great amount of responsibility, to make sure all the animals will be returned in good healthy in autumn. Often on the weekends, when I was home from boarding school, I was send up hiking to the Alp fields with a backpack full of things they needed up there.
When the summer is over, on the first day of autumn, that’s when the cattle is walked down from the mountain fields. It’s called the “Almabtrieb” (drive from the mountain pasture) what describes the return of the cattle from summer grazing in the hill country, to their barns in the valley below. If summer grazing season has passed safely, and without any deadly incidents for man or animals, then the herds are dressed up in their “Sunday best” and returned home, where they are greeted by local fair, music, dance and good food.
The lead cow is decorated with big wreath (Kranz) and leads the procession of all the other animals all wearing a wreath of Alpine flowers, ribbons, crosses and mirrors.
The cows wear huge bells around their neck, to scare off any evil monsters they might meet on their way back into the valley. Decorating the cows is the traditional way of giving thanks for a good summer season without any losses.
It’s a colorful spectacle and visitors from all over come to witness the festival. If you make vacation in Austria, Switzerland, Bavaria (Germany) or the northern regions in Italy…that’s something you want to see.
Today I was thinking about “Almabtrieb” how it has been years ago and still is celebrated the same way until today.
It’s Frisbee Wednesday at Serendipity’s blog and I almost forgot. This was a nice trip back on memory lane. 🙂
My reaction was the same as Marilyn Armstrong’s! I knew the cows were herded up into the mountains in spring but I never knew why … or about the fabulous celebration when they come back down!! This post was so interesting!
There is one thing that has me really puzzled though. My understanding is that cows need to be milked every day. How does a single herder (or a small handful) manage that … and then getting the milk all the way back down again … every day?
The cows get milked every day, by the herder. Most of the milk stays up there and they make mountain cheese, quark and butter, the rest of the milk is used for drinking, only a little bit get carried down if needed. The famous Swiss Cheese is a mountain cheese.
And yes, cows have to be miled every day
It sounds like those herders are might busy during the summer!! … but the cheese, quark and butter would still need to be carried down?
Actually lots of it get sold up there in the mountains. I remember buyers coming by, the wanted to taste the mild first, before the bought the butter and the cheese.
Our cabin had table and chairs for the hiking tourists and we offered fresh buttermilk, bread and cheese.
The herders are pretty busy, there is really nothing more to do then taking care of the animals. Most of them play guitar 🙂
Very interesting! Thanks for all the info 🙂
Very interesting post. Enjoyed the pictures too.
Thank you~!
Love this nostalgic post !
The photos are beautiful…
Thank you 🙂
What an exquisite post. Wonderful pix and writing.
Thank you, I am glad you liked it~!
what a wonderful tradition and what a great part of your childhood remembrances!
I think about it every year 🙂
I remember ‘Die Alpen-weide’. I once climbed up there in winter, slept in one of the huts which had a fire, sausages and Schnapps. Skied down next day in virgin snow. It was wonderful. Un-inmaginably beautiful experience.
Fire..Sausage and Schnaps…I guess that’s all you need. Glad you made the experience. Nothing…nothing beats skiing in virgin snow. 🙂
What a wonderful and colorful tradition!
Yes, it is. I was thinking about it today and Frisbee Wednesday came in handy 🙂
Except we don’t have the alps. Minor detail.
That might be an obstacle 🙂
That is SO TOTALLY COOL. A cow parade! They look so happy being cows. What a great idea. We should do that here.
Glad you liked it. I was almost certain that most Americans had never heard of it. I looked at the calendar today and the memories came back. I don’t get home sick, I am here way too long, but I do miss some of the traditions and I like the idea that I can talk about it on my little blog.