The best désalpes for families in Switzerland
Category: Family, Outdoors, Events
Author: FLOK Kids
September 11, 2024
Every autumn across the countryside of Switzerland, a centuries-old tradition brings local communities and visitors together from across the world. They gather to witness hundreds of cows descend from their lush mountain pastures - where they’ve spent the summer months grazing - to the lower plains where they will see the winter through.
Known in the French-speaking parts of Switzerland as désalpe and in the German-speaking parts as alpabfahrt, these family-friendly festivals are typically celebrated between August and October every year across Switzerland, Austria and Germany.
Celebrations are centred around the cow parades in which cows are decorated in bells and floral headdresses and proudly displayed by their herdsmen and families. Goats, sheep and even donkeys often also participate in the parades. Visitors can enjoy yodelling, alp-horn performances and folk entertainment, while tasting local produce, including cheeses produced by the very same parading cows.
“The Swiss désalples festivals are core community events with everyone in the town getting involved. Even the floral decorations on the cows are provided for free by local florists.”
Fran Lambert, Head of Media & Communications (UK & Ireland) for Switzerland Tourism, says of the désalpes: “These events are incredibly special to local communities. Seeing the cows come down the mountains can be an emotional experience, because the cows are so important to the farmers. They are not just livestock; they are a precious part of the family. The farmers keep their cows until they are old – they’re not sent off to be slaughtered and are significant to their livelihoods. “The festivals are core community events with everyone in the town getting involved. Even the floral decorations on the cows are provided for free by local florists.”
We’ve rounded up some of the best traditional désalpes for families in Switzerland coming up in the next few weeks.
Désalpe de Blonay
Location: Blonay, Canton Vaud
Dates: September 21, 2024
What makes this désalpe so special is that for the first time this year it will mark the coming together of two mountain pastures: Les Guedères and La Neuve.
Covering 12 kilometres, the procession of beautifully decorated cows will cross into the village of Grand-Pré where participants will be able to enjoy folk music and taste local cheeses and other regional specialities. Festivities will run from 11am to 6pm.
Désalpe de Sainte Cergue
Location: Sainte Cergue, Canton Vaud
Date: September 28, 2024
Known as the largest descent of the cows in the Lake Geneva region, the Désalpe St Cergue sees more than 700 cows descend from their mountain pastures into the beautiful village of St Cergue.
This year’s event will open from 8:30am and all ages are welcome. Visitors will have the chance to admire the herds of cows, proudly displaying their floral crowns and bells, meet the local shepherds and their families, and taste some of the famous cheeses produced in the area.
There will be food stalls and live entertainment to enjoy. Saint Cergue, situated at 1041m above sea level, is also the perfect setting for such a celebration with magnificent views of the Alps and Mont Blanc.
Find out more
Désalpe de l’Étivaz
Location: L'Etivaz, Canton Vaud
Date: September 28, 2024
The village of L'Etivaz will be pulling out all the stops to pay tribute to their cows. Dozens of cows, adorned in elaborate headdresses and bells, will be descending from the mountains to delight young and old visitors. You’ll be able to taste the famous L'Etivaz AOP cheese, produced during the summer and fresh from the maturing cellars.
From 8am, herds of cattle will pass through the festival square, followed by folk entertainment, a large craft market and tastings. From 7pm, visitors are invited to dinner at the canteen with a live band. Entry is 8 CHF/ adult (free for under 16s).
Désalpe de Charmey
Location: Charmey, Canton Friborg
Dates: September 28, 2024
The postcard perfect village of Charmey, situated high up in the mountains, will yet again come alive for its famous désalpe. Local cows will be putting their best hooves forward (sorry, we couldn’t resist!) with their decorations on display.
Embodying Swiss culture, yodellers, alp-horn players, country orchestras, brass bands, and flag throwers will be providing fantastic entertainment. Between 9am and 5pm there will be a craft market with up to 90 stalls offering regional specialties and artisanal products.
Children will also have the chance to meet some of the animals and go on a horse ride. For those who want to continue the festivities into the evening, there will be a concert in the canteen up until midnight.
Älperfest, Lenk im Simmental
Location: Lenk im Simmental, Canton Bern
Dates: October 12, 2024
This unique cow procession takes place in the German-speaking Bern region and forms part of the Älplerfest Alpine Festival. A highlight is that the parades double up as a beauty pageant for the cows, culminating in the annual coronation of ‘Miss Lenk’. Every hour during the day, cows are paraded in a Züglete, and the public gets to cast their votes on who they think should be the next dairy-cow beauty queen.
The day after, guests are traditionally treated to a hearty and delicious brunch, Älplerzmorge, prepared with produce from the region. If you’d like to experience even more Swiss culture, stay put for another week to witness the Hornussen wrestling tournament featuring around 250 active competitors from across Switzerland.
Switzerland's désalpes are the essence of Swiss culture
Switzerland’s désalpes are the ideal way to experience the essence of Swiss culture. They’re inherently family-friendly and well attended by children, many of whom come from the local villages. Some of the désalpes offer opportunities for kids to meet and pet the animals and many have child-focused games on offer. The excitement of seeing the colourfully decorated cows parading through the streets coupled with the traditional sounds and tastes of Switzerland make for the perfect family day out.
For more family-friendly ideas, see our September What’s On Guide.
Fun facts about the désalpes in Switzerland
• Alp-horns are traditional Swiss instruments that were once used by mountain dwellers to communicate across long distances in the mountains. Today they are used for entertainment with an average of five alp-horn players performing together.
• According to Fran, most cheese farmers have three properties: one in the village, one halfway up the mountain, and one at the very top of the mountain. During springtime, they’ll stay halfway up the mountain and then when it gets warmer, they’ll take their cows to the very top of the mountain where the quality of grass is best thanks to mineral-rich soil and alpine herbs. Farmers try to maximise the time their cows spend high up in the mountains to encourage top quality produce.
Image credits: Fran Lambert, Head of Media & Communications (UK & Ireland) for Switzerland Tourism, L'Évitaz AOP, Bern Tourism, Lenk im Simmental Tourism
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