So my wife is really wanting to watch the cows being ceremonially paraded through a Swiss village. Does anyone have any suggestions of a good place where they do it up with the parade and kids and all that Swiss coolness?

Charmey Fribourg was ... yesterday.

www.desalpe.com

thanks to Yasmina

Elm, canton Glarus, this Saturday Sunday (Oct. 2).

More information here (in German) and a few photos below.








We'll be heading up there on Saturday Sunday - maybe we should organize a social event?

Hi Jerallie!

Thanks Odile - here it is
Dèsalpe - Le Boéchet

It's in a small in Jura, but a wonderful parade with traditional music and beautiful cows!

Flumserberg is usually the 3rd Saturday of September but it does depend on the weather (and I didn't see loads of crap on the mountain road when I drove back up late Saturday night).

And the event is actually bringing the cows down the mountain off the alp, not parading through the town. That bit is really just to find a parking space for them so the drovers can get to the beer tent.

Here's a few pics from 4 years ago as they came past our place.

Love the pictures, Mike.
(It looks as though yours was the 17th of September this year... that could explain why you didn't see the usual 'debris' last night.)

Thanks. What do I know, I only live here!

Kerns/Melchsee-Frutt might be easier to visit for the OP.

http://www.melchsee-frutt.ch/de/page...ug_kerns/94010

I saw it in Liechtenstein on 3 september, so 1 Oktober is probably last chance this year. The German word is "Alpabzug", and i think "Desalpes" for the french speaking part of Switzerland.

Doc.

Please! Stop putting those pictures up ,it makes me thirsty

Go to Bahnhofstrasse in Zürich

This one is on the sunday (2 Oct) not the saturday. We had a herd of cows go past on saturday with all their finery on, the size of some of the bells they wear it's a surprise they can still hold their heads up.

maybe some information here.

There are a couple today, and the last one or two on Saturday coming, but the are quite a trek for the OP...Morgins is probably closest.

Not quite the same thing, but if its bovine pampering you're after, the "Miss Beatenberg" Cow Contest in on 15th Oct....just 15 minutes drive from where you are. Its dressed up cows, dressed up farmers, bells and beer....but with less "purpose" than the Abzug

Hello everyone. This looks fun! I think I am going to try to make it on Saturday. I'll be going from Zurich by public transport. What station is closest, does anyone know? Elm Station?

As I posted earlier, this one is on sunday, not saturday. You'll need to get the train to Schwanden, then get the bus from there up to Elm.

Oh, right, ok. Thank you! And when arriving at the Elm Station, it's easy to find from there?

If you get the bus up to the bus stop Elm Station (just before the village itself) you will be able to see where everything is going on, on the other side of the road in the army barracks (a big square building surrounded by fields), just before you get to the station. I'd say just follow the crowds and you'll find it easy enough, I believe it gets rather busy.

Ooh, I visited that area over the summer, I think it would be great to make that part of a "day" out (maybe overnight someplace nearby). The event itself maybe not quite up to what many of us would know much about (judging cows) but still looks like a nice country thing to do.

Here's an Alpabzug I struck riding my bicycle over the (vehicle free) Klausenpass on last Saturday 24 Sept - and yes, the weather was absolutely 100% perfect for the day!

What time of day was that? We went over the Klausen Pass (by bus), leaving Linthal at three in the afternoon, but missed it.