The season has started for the alpine descent of the cows. If you will be in Switzerland between now and around the middle of October you can check to see if there are any in your area to enjoy.
My experience as a hobby photographer is that you can get some great shots, with scenic backgrounds and no crowds, by walking a little bit out of town along the route of the descent (ask at the tourist info where the cows are coming from).
Remember not to enter the street in front of the cows (would you normally jump right in front of a heard of cows coming your way?). This can potentially be dangerous and also blocks the view of everyone who is standing along the route behind you. The more popular events have a lot of spectators.
If there is only one farmer involved, the alpabfahrt will be short and go by fast, only a minute or two. Some of the larger events have more farmers (therefore more cows) and also have a market, music, etc.
You can search for them using:
- Alpabfahrt
- Alpabzug
- Züglete
- Désalpe
The Appenzell area has already had a few this year. They do not post them online but rather advertise at the tourist office, or you can sign up for their news letter and they will e-mail you the dates when they become available
https://www.appenzell.ch/en/footer/news/newsletter.html
What has been your experience with these "cow parades?"