Each autumn Switzerland’s cattle leave their high pastures for the valleys. The journey, known as a désalpe in French-speaking Switzerland and an Alpabzug in German-speaking areas, has become one of the country’s most photogenic rural traditions. Here is what it is, where it came from and where to see one in 2026.
Autumn announces itself noisily in the Swiss Alps. Cows wearing enormous bells and crowns of flowers make their way down from summer pastures, accompanied by farmers and their families, often in traditional dress.
The procession is known as a désalpe in French-speaking Switzerland and an Alpabzug or Alpabfahrt in German-speaking regions. What began as the practical business of bringing livestock down before winter has become an annual celebration of alpine farming.
Its roots are ancient. Archaeological evidence suggests that seasonal livestock movements between valleys and high pastures were taking place in the Alps by the late Neolithic period, around 3000BC. Alpine farming allowed communities to exploit high summer grass while preserving lower meadows for hay and winter feed. It remains an important part of Swiss agriculture today.
Pasture was valuable enough to provoke conflict. For centuries the people of Schwyz and Einsiedeln Abbey disputed rights to alpine and forest land. The quarrel culminated in a raid on the monastery in 1314 and formed part of the background to the Battle of Morgarten the following year, when forces from Schwyz and its allies defeated a Habsburg army. Historians caution, however, that grazing rights were only one element of a wider political struggle involving Habsburg power and a disputed imperial succession.
Modern descents are more peaceful. Many have grown into village festivals, with alphorns, yodelling, flag-throwing, markets and demonstrations of traditional crafts. Food is rarely far away. Alpine cheese is particularly prominent: summer grazing makes use of pastures that would otherwise be difficult to exploit, while turning milk into cheese also makes it easier to preserve and transport.
Hundreds of thousands of cattle still spend part of the summer on Switzerland’s alpine pastures. That leaves plenty of opportunities to see them come home.
Western Switzerland
1. Saint-Cergue — September 26th 2026
The Désalpe de Saint-Cergue, in the Jura above Nyon, returns on Saturday September 26th after its 2025 edition was cancelled on veterinary-health grounds.
The organisers describe it as the largest désalpe in the Lake Geneva region. Herds are due to pass through the village between 8.30am and 12.30pm, followed by concerts and other festivities. A craft market and food stalls run throughout the day.
Large crowds are expected and organisers recommend arriving before 10am and travelling by train on the Nyon-Saint-Cergue-La Cure line.
Désalpe de Saint-Cergue — official 2026 information
2. Grimentz — September 26th 2026
The cows from the Alpage de Moiry are due to pass through the old village of Grimentz from 11am on Saturday September 26th.
Grimentz, in the Val d’Anniviers in Valais, is particularly associated with the compact black Hérens, or Eringer, breed. These hardy mountain cattle are famous for establishing a social hierarchy by pushing and locking horns, a trait celebrated in organised cow fights elsewhere in the canton.
Food and local-produce stalls open from noon. The tourism office warns that the date can change if weather conditions require it.
Désalpe de Grimentz — Val d’Anniviers
3. Charmey — September 26th 2026
The Désalpe de Charmey, in the canton of Fribourg, takes place on Saturday September 26th.
The village lies in La Gruyère, where dairy farming and cheesemaking remain central to the local economy. Its désalpe is one of the better-known events in French-speaking Switzerland, with decorated cattle, a market and regional food.
The 2026 event is the 46th edition. Traditional dishes on offer include chalet soup, fondue and jambon de la borne.
Désalpe de Charmey — official site
4. Crans-Montana — no 2026 date announced
Crans-Montana normally stages one of Valais’s best-known désalpes. Its 2025 event, scheduled for September 21st, was cancelled because organisers feared the spread of a contagious cattle disease from neighbouring France.
As of September 11th 2026, no 2026 désalpe is listed on Crans-Montana’s official autumn programme or current events pages. Visitors should therefore not rely on the event taking place unless the organisers make a later announcement.
The smaller scale of the traditional procession has in the past distinguished it from some of Switzerland’s more commercialised alpine festivals: farmers, families and livestock remain at the centre of the occasion.
Crans-Montana — official website
5. Blonay — September 26th 2026
Closer to Lake Geneva, Blonay, above Vevey and Montreux, holds its désalpe on Saturday September 26th.
Three alpine farms are expected to take part. Festivities run from 11am until 6pm at Grand-Pré, with evening entertainment continuing afterwards.
It is a convenient option for visitors based on the eastern end of Lake Geneva who do not want to travel deep into the Alps.
Désalpe de Blonay — official information
Central and eastern Switzerland
German-speaking Switzerland offers its own versions of the autumn cattle descent, generally called an Alpabzug or Alpabfahrt. Bells, decorated animals and traditional dress are much the same; only the vocabulary changes.
1. Kerns — cancelled in 2026
There will be no Grosse Alpabfahrt in Kerns in 2026.
Obwalden Tourism lists this year’s event simply as “cancelled”. In a normal year the Kerns procession is one of the canton’s largest traditional gatherings, with livestock, farming families, alphorn players, yodellers and a food market.
Anyone travelling to Obwalden specifically for an alpine descent should choose another event rather than heading to Kerns.
Obwalden Tourism — alpine descents and traditions
2. Engelberg — September 26th 2026
Engelberg’s autumn market and Alpabzug take place on Saturday September 26th.
The cattle descent is combined with a market selling local and regional products. In previous editions these have included bread, cheese, preserves, dried meat, wool and wooden goods, alongside the usual raclette, sausages and other mountain fare.
The organisers of Engelberg’s seasonal market confirm September 26th as the date of the 2026 autumn market.
Engelberg seasonal market — 2026 dates
3. Urnäsch — September 19th 2026
The Urnäsch farmers’ market and Alpabfahrt take place on Saturday September 19th.
More than 50 stalls sell regional products and crafts. There are games for children, music and, rather less solemnly, piglet races.
If conditions on the alpine pastures permit, cattle processions pass through the village from about 9am until after midday. The qualification matters: the exact movements of herds depend on weather and vegetation, so individual descents cannot be guaranteed far in advance.
Urnäsch farmers’ market and Alpabfahrt — Switzerland Tourism
4. Prättigauer Alp Spektakel — October 3rd 2026
The Prättigauer Alp Spektakel takes place in Seewis, Graubünden, on Saturday October 3rd.
The main Alpabzug is expected to reach the village at about 11.30am. More than 100 decorated cattle, as well as sheep and goats, are expected to take part.
The festival also includes alpine-cheese tasting, a market for regional food and crafts, children’s activities and livestock exhibitions. The event marks its 20th anniversary in 2026.
Prättigauer Alp Spektakel — official 2026 site
A crowded September 26th
Anyone planning a cow-parade tour in 2026 faces one difficulty: many of the biggest events clash.
Saint-Cergue, Grimentz, Charmey, Blonay and Engelberg all take place on Saturday September 26th. Urnäsch offers an earlier option on September 19th and the Prättigauer Alp Spektakel follows on October 3rd.
Dates can still change, particularly where farmers must respond to weather, pasture conditions or animal-health restrictions. It is worth checking the organisers’ websites shortly before travelling.
And this list is far from exhaustive. In September and early October scores of smaller communities bring their animals down from the mountains. Search for désalpe, Alpabzug or Alpabfahrt together with the name of a canton or valley and there is a good chance that bells, flowers and cows will not be far away.
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