Every year in Germany, thousands of cows are moved up to the high alpine pastures for the summer. They do this for a variety of reasons. There isn’t enough space in the valleys to keep the cows and harvest the hay that is needed for the winter. The high mountain conditions are also good for the cows and the alpine grass is great for their health.
Since there isn’t any separation of the cows while they are up in the mountains for the summer, they must be sorted when they come back to the valley. Every September, all the cows (and locals) get dressed up to celebrate the drive back to town and the sorting of the livestock back to their owners. While this is a traditional event that must be undertaken every fall, it has turned into a great experience for tourists as well.
If you are looking for another reason to throw on your lederhosen or Dirndl and go have fun in Germany this is a great event. For a complete list of the dates for all the Viehscheid activities you can visit www.viehscheid.com. Now get out there and experience all that Germany has to offer!
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