Krimmler Almabtrieb

An old tradition in Krimml Wasserfalldorf

The cattle drive down from the mountain pastures is a thanksgiving celebration for farmers, dairymen, and herdsmen when the livestock return healthy to their home barns after the summer on the alpine pastures. If there have been losses in the herd over the summer, such as animals dying on the mountain from disease, storms, or rockfalls, the respective owners refrain from decorating their animals.

The Time of the Cattle Drives

The individual cattle drives take place at different times each year, as they are heavily dependent on the weather and when the grass has stopped growing. For this day of return, the cattle are decorated with fir branches and alpine flowers, and adorned with colorful ribbons, tinsel, and mirrors. Depending on their rank in the herd, the cows wear bells of different tones around their necks.

The decoration of the cattle is an ancient custom that has been practiced in the Upper Pinzgau region for many centuries. The decorated animals, with their bells, herald the end of summer, which is celebrated one last time in a final festival.