Annual fall festival of decorated cows being herded down mountain

The town of Annecy in the French Alps has such a festival each year on the second Saturday in October.

Viehscheid (Vieh for cattle, scheid, from scheiden, to separate), when the cattle are brought back from their summer pastures in the Alps to their winter quarters in town. This is a common festival. Füssen has a Viehscheid. Someone wrote in last year wondering when it was and if it would interfere with their visit.

Pfronten, a collection of villages near Füssen, celebrates Viehscheid this year on Saturday, September 11.

Actually, I don't know why they celebrate the return of the cows. I was in a small village in the Allgäu in late winter, just before the cows were returned to the mountain pastures. They had been in the barns in town all winter, and the smell was overwhelming. They should celebrate the cows leaving town. How about Viehvereinigt.

Also in Kandersteig Switzerland.

What's the matter, Lee, you don't like a little cow smell? Actually, "scheiden" in this context means leave taking, departing. What you want to see is the critters leaving town - how about Viehabzug? Viehvereinigt means Vieh united....

It reeked, really. It was late winter and a warm day.

I think Scheid means "separate", because they have been in common pastures in the mountains, and they bring them down and separate them according to who owns each one. So when they go back up to the pastures in the spring, they are reunited (actually, wiedervereinigt). I also thought of Viehversammelt (assemble the herd?).

I've also seen something similar in one of the small towns north of Mittenwald, although I don't remember exactly which one. Was more of a parade than an actual festival, though. So yes, despite what the other poster has seen through Rick Steves videos, it is not an exclusively Swiss tradition.

Hi Carolyn,

This is not just a Swiss tradition. These are typically held in September in Austria and Bavaria. I'll get some links together later on for you.

Paul

Thanks so much for all the information and help! This is GREAT!!!

The process in general is called Transhumance. It's not just Bavaria...

We went to a Transhumance event in St. Remy, France in May but instead of cows they herded sheep through the town (taking them to higher pastures for the summer.) It was a big event and very festive! Make plans to go if you can!

Hi Carolyn,

The word you're looking for is "Almabtrieb ".

Here's a few links:

www.berchtesgaden.de/en/queen-of-the-pastures-almabtrieb

www.visitbavaria.com/index.shtml?vbn_almabtrieb

www.zillertal.at/suche_ergebnisse.php?keyword=Almabtrieb+

Sorry this isn't too much of a help.

Paul