The Descent Of The Alpine Cows Festival – A Weekend In Blatten

UPDATED MAR 2020. Cows in flower crowns – what more do you need? The Descent of the Alpine Cows is a traditional and completely adorable festival not to be missed. I recently planned a last-minute visit to the town of Blatten in Switzerland to see the festival for myself and it did not disappoint. The weekend away basically involved the cultural festival, as well as lots of cheese, beer, bratwurst, hiking amongst incredible scenery, and lots of cute animals. In today’s post, I’m sharing the details so you can plan your own trip to see the unique festival. As always, if you have any questions, let me know.

The Descent Of The Alpine Cows Festival – A Weekend In Blatten

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Basic information for the Descent of Alpine Cows festivals

Location: Alpine regions in Europe including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and northern Italy

Other names: Almabtrieb (Germany), Alpabzug (Switzerland), Transhumanza (Italy)

Cost: Usually free to enter but you’ll want to have money for the great food, drinks, and crafts

What is the Descent of the Alpine Cows festival

The Descent of the Alpine Cows festival is exactly as it sounds. It is a festival where cows descend from the mountains.

Each year, farmers escort their cows down from the mountains before winter to get them away from the harsh conditions. It’s a tradition that has been turned into festivals in many alpine regions.

At the festival, people cheer on the farmers as they walk their cows, dressed in flower crowns, through the streets.

After the cows enter the town, they are allowed some rest in a grassy area while the celebrations continue.

Farmers have a chance to talk about their cows, stalls are set up with local creators selling their goods, and everyone enjoys some beer and bratwurst.

In the afternoon, the cows move on to their winter home.

When can you see them?

The festivals happen throughout September and into October each year.

Where can you see the festivals?

The beauty of these festivals is that you can find them in different towns, regions and even countries.

Basically anywhere in an alpine region. I visited a festival in Switzerland, though you could also attend a festival in places like northern Italy, Germany or Austria.

The Descent of the Alpine Cows in Blatten, Switzerland

I attended a festival in the small town of Blatten in Switzerland which was pure mountainside magic.

The cows were scheduled to arrive sometime between 9 and 10am and, though it was a small town, people lined the streets awaiting their arrival.

You can feel the anticipation building. Collectively, everyone would look up the slope and hold our breaths every time we heard a noise.

It doesn’t get much cuter than the Descent of the Alpine Cows festival.

We were usually disappointed to find that the noise was just a car or something equally un-cowlike. Until one noise stood out from the others.

A distinctive cowbell.

It was time to welcome the cows!

What to expect

Farmers walked proudly with their cows down the street, while the crowd cheered and clapped for the entire procession.

Once the cows moved into the festival area, they were tied up in a grassy area for a little well deserved rest.

Maybe the rest was for the farmers as well as they stopped for a cold one and a bratwurst fresh off the grill.

You could feel the love and pride the farmers had for their cows which was one of my favorite things about this festival. Once the cows were tied up, the farmers went around with fresh water for them to drink, and removed the crowns from the cows who didn’t like wearing them.

Often times throughout the day I would see one of the farmers standing by their cows giving lots of pets, chin scratches, and cuddles which was so heartwarming.

This wasn’t a type of animal exploitation event. Instead, there was a lot of love for these animals as they made their way to their winter homes.

Travel Tip: Make sure you try some grilled Raclette cheese while you’re there! 

Where to stay in Blatten

My accommodation in Blatten was Hotel Blattnerhof. I picked it on a whim after looking for last-minute deals on Booking.com and it turned out to be one of those hidden gems that exceeded any and all expectations.

The hotel was a one minute walk to the festival which was super convenient. I even took a few trips back to my room throughout the day to drop off and pick up my jacket as the weather changed.

It had all the usual things you would expect from a hotel – clean, cozy rooms, wi-fi, great breakfast, and parking. What set it apart was the wellness center which includes a steam room, sauna, indoor and outdoor pool, and relaxing chairs.

It costs an extra 20CHF (20USD) but is so worth it! After the long day hiking in the mountains, it felt so good to relax and give those muscles a little TLC.

Other things to do in Blatten

I recommend making the most of your trip and turning it into a weekend away in Blatten.

For 25CHF (25USD) each way you, can take the ski lift up the mountain to Belalp. There you will find lots of hiking trails with magnificent, scenic views.

It’s not all rugged, intense hiking either. There are hikes for all skill levels, and even just strolling around is beautiful up there. I recommend stopping in at the Hamilton Lodge for lunch with a view and make sure you try their famous burger – it’s delicious!

If you have more time, you could also take a day trip to Zermatt to see the famous Matterhorn. The town of Täsch near the Matterhorn also has an alpine cow festival.

If you want to stay close to Blatten, you could also drive down to the town below, Naters, to explore more restaurants and stores.

For more information:

Check the event dates for the different towns on the My Switzerland website.

Hotel Blattnerhof can be found here.

Here is more information for festivals in north Italy (open with Google Chrome to translate).

Here is more information on festivals in Germany (open with Google Chrome to translate).

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