Any way to know what date the cows move up the Alps in the Berner Oberland?

Have you used MySwitzerland.com? https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/events.html. Try Alpine events in the right-hand navigation.

As I recall when I was doing similar searches about 4 years ago, more and more dates were firmed up from the middle to late summer. I ended up visiting a Viehscheid outside of Innsbruck, but Switzerland was part of my research, and I recall using this resource.

Edit: Sorry, I was looking for when they come down, not go up. Now I am intrigued. Much more info on descent than ascent....

I'm sure it's weather related, as is the date the cows come down the Alps, but you should be able to get a rough estimate by calling or emailing the tourist info office (Tourismus) nearby.

I don't know why there is such a big celebration when the cows come back to town.

I was in a town (Schlöllang) in the German Alps a few years ago. It was a warm day in mid-March and the cows were still in the barns in town, and the town reeked. I would think the real celebration should be when they finally get those stinky animals out of town.

Not a big cow fan, Lee?

In 2010 we spent a week in late September in Schliersee, Bavaria. Our hotel room had a balcony that faced the mountains. I was ill one day and resting in my room when we heard something. We went out to the balcony and saw the beginning of the cow parade as they were coming down the mountain. It lasted for awhile and was fun to watch. It was a happy accident that we witnessed it.

"Transhumance"

There seems to be more organization to bringing the cows down from the mountains instead of sending them up.

A couple years ago I was on the Best of Italy tour and we just happened to be in the Dolomites on the day the cows came home in September. The entire town turned out for it with traditional costumes, food, beers, a parade, alpine horn blowing, cows with festive wreaths around their necks and so on. It was great fun even though it was cold and rainy/snowy that day. I think it was the most German experience I ever had and we were in Italy.

I think the only cow parade is going down from the alps, when it's all at once. To go up the mountain, I think the cows take that slowly and gradually as they graze their way up higher and higher all during the summer. So to find out when the cows will make it up to a certain level, you'd need to ask someone from the nearest village who knows when the cows usually make it there.

From what I've seen in Switzerland, the "cow parades" don't have a definite date each year, but rather just an approximate date. I happened to be in Lauterbrunnen on one of my trips when the cows were brought down for the winter, and as I recall that was on 27 September. As mentioned in a previous reply, that's a big production for the locals, with the cows all adorned with bells and flowers.

I couldn't find anything more accurate than "from May till late June, depending on wheather" either.

I did find one page that mentions a way to get informed when it actually happens: http://www.appenzell.ch/de/kultur-und-braeuche/braeuche-und-traditionen/alpfahrt-und-alpabfahrt.html

Though I guess it'll be on really short notice. But you could ask.

Thanks, I'll try to round up some more info maybe about a week ahead of when I'll be there.

While visiting the small Bavarian village of Ramsau a few years ago, the cows we sent up to the mountains on May 1, May day. We watched them do it from the balcony of our B&B. It was charming. All the little towns and villages had Maypoles. Not sure when the Swiss release their cows. I've got to believe it is around the same time.