Des Alpes – Swiss cows say goodbye to summer
Join local villagers at the Des Alpes celebrations
From the shores of Lac Leman, you can see the first signs of Autumn with the changing tapestry of colours across the foothills of the Jura. The days are getting shorter and it’s almost time to join in the celebrations of ‘Des Alpes’ (which literally translates as ‘from the Alps’). This is when herders bring their cows from the high summer pastures in the verdant hanging valleys of the Jura, down to spend the snowy winter in the farms on the plains below. In the Swiss Jura, this is a time of celebration! The proud herders take part in Des Alpes walking their cows through the villages, closing off roads, and drawing crowds to join the celebrations. If you get the chance, you should experience this at least once!
The night before, the preparations begin with the herders staying up most of the night to decorate their cows with headdresses that they make out of crepe (because they’re lighter for the cows to wear) or fresh flowers. Next, it’s time for the herders and their families to get ready in their traditional dress. They’re easy to spot as they’ll be wearing their recognizable light blue shirts decorated with white edelweiss flowers, or blue or red tunics embroidered with edelweiss.
The whole village turns out and out-of-town visitors come to join in as well! Each herd takes its turn to parade through the village announced by the Master of Ceremonies, his voice almost drowned out by the cacophony of cowbells. It is a genuine family celebration. You’ll also see some herds accompanied by their Bernese Mountain dogs, suitably dressed in red bandannas, walking side by side with the youngest members of the family. The cows are led around the central village field and meander out through the bottom of the village for the steeper descent to the valley floor. In other villages along their journey, you’ll see groups of people gathered at road ends with trays of small plastic cups filled with local wine to toast and wish the cows well on their journey.
This is the place to see traditional Swiss culture. Deep resonating alphorns echo throughout the village and yodelers gather by the fire station to share their songs. Join in and find a seat at one of the rows of trestle tables which are quickly filled by visitors and villagers alike sharing bottles of local wine with stalls from local vineyards set up for the occasion, with others selling traditional foods and crafts.
If you’re coming from Geneva then St Cergue is the closest village where you’ll be able to see the Des Alpes. You’ll need to park just outside the village if you’re driving, come up through Arzier and you’ll find a big car park just before the village and it’s only a short walk from there, or get the small train which weaves up into the hills from Nyon.
When: First weekend in October
Where: St Cergue, Vaud, Switzerland
Find out more about St Cergue: www.st-cergue.ch
