Cattle drives at Lake Achensee

A lot of work goes into the preparations. Farmers and herders spend several days making elaborate headdresses using flowers, ribbons, banners, and pictures of saints. Beautifully decked out, with cowbells attached to their collars to ward off demons, the cows are herded home from summer grazing in the mountains. Curious onlookers greet the parades in the villages, keeping their cameras ready to capture these special moments. Locals and visitors put on their festive dirndls and lederhosen, celebrating the occasion with folk music and tasty regional specialities.

Cattle drives are a centuries-old tradition in Tirol to celebrate and honour the cows’ accident-free summer with parades and feasts. At the end of the season, between September and October, the cows are moved back home to the farms in the valley.