Till the Cows Come Home

A centuries-old alpine celebration of cattle herding is one of Europe’s most charming festivals that celebrtes the bond between animals, people and the land

- ByTEJA LELE

Each autumn, as summer fades and the first frost appears on the mountain slopes of Graubiinden, Switzerland’s largest canton where Romansh, German, and Italian intermingle to celebrate Alpabzug. It is a cattle drive, but also salutes the bond between people and the mountains.

Herdsmen across Switzerland lead their cattle for an extraordinary homecoming or the Alpabzug. Donning embroidered waistcoats, wide-brimmed hats, and sturdy leather boots, they descend from the high alpine pastures to the valleys below with cows, goats, and sheep decked in flower garlands. But this alpine transhumance, is more than an annual migration. The animals’ bells, heavy and gleaming, resound like an orchestra that has come alive through mountain gorges and cobbled village streets. Communities erupt in celebration. It's both a thanksgiving and a spectacle: music, yodelling, alphorns, cheese tastings, funfairs, and feasting.

It’s not just the farmers and herdsmen who enjoy the feast. Every summer, around 400,000 cattle and 200,000 sheep and goats graze on high alpine meadows. Recognised as an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO, the practice keeps lowland fields fertile and yields rich milk for seasonal cheeses.