Cow Parade in Schüpfheim, a Favourite Swiss Tradition

Saturday September 28, 2024 -- We entertained our California friends for three days during their yearly visit to Europe, where they always grace us with a visit and hope we can show them some new fun experiences in our country...

Back in September 2017, almost to the day (see photos HERE), we took them to Canton Glarus to experience one of Switzerland's coolest traditions: An Alpine Cow Descent, a beloved event where mountain farmers descend from their higher elevation summer farms and bring their cows down to valley bottom farms. This event consists of decorating the cows (and goats) with flowers and wide bell bands, and walking them about 10-15 kilometers down mountain roads in a sort of parade. The members of the farming families are dressed in local traditional costumes, and even the children, right down to the babies, take part in the procession. When the parades arrive at the goal villages, there are additionally alphorn players, yodeling groups, traditional dance groups that join the parade. Then there are usually market stands and beer and sausages and schnapps coffee to warm up. These events take place all over the country between middle of September and early October and are a lot of fun. 

Having thoroughly enjoyed this experience, our friends requested to see another one, so we arranged to visit one of the most popular Cow Descents in Central Switzerland, in Schüpfheim in the UNESCO Heritage Site of Entlebuch. It was such a shame that the day was cold, overcast and rainy, but thousands of spectators showed up anyway. (The commentators claimed 10,000 in attendance). I'm sure it wasn't so fun for the farmers, but most of them came into town with big smiles anyway.

When all seven families with their cows had made it from the surrounding valleys into the town of Schüpfheim we headed off to the train station for the short trip to the Kambly Cookie factory for coffee and cookie tasting.... which was a real hit, as nowhere else can you taste so many different kinds of cookies for free!

While waiting for the first of the seven families to arrive with their cows, the parade started with some local folklore groups at 10:45. The first wagon was a brass band. 

After the brass band, the local children's folklore dance group walked past, and stopped along the way to demonstrate some dances

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The children's Folklore Dance Club performed along the way

What's a cow parade without the alphorns?

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A little bit of Alphorn Music

(The commentator was way too loud in the background)

Shortly after 11 a.m. we heard the first cowbells from afar, and the first family arrived at the outskirts of Schüpfheim at 11:15. 

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First family arriving in Schüpfheim

All the equipment is coming through as well!

The family from the Alp Aebnistetten farm (from the valley just over the hill to the south of here) even came along with their children and a baby in a wagon! (The two photos with the wagon were taken by Carrie). 

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The Cheiler Family from Alp Aebnisstetten came through Schüpfheim from the opposite direction, then turned around and passed by again!

This family is from a farm called Alp Schlacht, which is actually near Sörenberg up the main side valley, a 20-km walk from here! Everyone was smiling, even with the rain and bad weather!

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There were some difficulties withe the goats!

Some very pretty goats with their sunflower belts!

Lots of sunflowers!

The covered tents were a great place to get out of the rain and have something to drink! 

There were several market stands along the road, selling handmade wooden products and cow bells. 

This family is from Alp Farneren, just on the other side of the mountain here, from the valley where we had walked through in August of this year (Photos HERE). They would have walked about 10 kilometers. 

Family from Alp Farneren.

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Family from Alp Farneren

We were headed up to the town's church when the final family made it through the town, so this one we watched and photographed from higher up!

Final family coming through town, so the event is pretty well finished. 

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Standing on the church stairs,

watching the last family walk their cows through the town

We then went into the church to have a look. This is a typical Baroque church like so many that we look at. Lovely organs, several side altars, ceiling paintings. 

After visiting the church, we were going to head to the train station, but couldn't get down the stairs any more (They were doing some final speeches, or maybe some yodeling...). We had to find a detour to get back down to the main road!

Final look at the church in Schüpfheim before we headed to the train station shortly after 1 p.m. to travel to the Kambly Cookie factory to eat free cookies!

It was only a 15-minute train ride from Schüpfheim to the Kambly Cookie Factory in Trubschachen. At the shop part of the factory, you can taste as many of the cookies as you like, for free! Even Carrie, who eats very little sugar, was tempted to try! Coffee isn't free though. And you cannot take any of the free cookies to the café part of the shop. It was a real hit, though, and a good way to end the very rainy day. And everytime we come here, Urs always buys three bags of his favourite cookies. (The cookies are "second rate" cookies sold in bulk bags, as opposed to the ones that are sold in shops). 

A coffee and some free cookies at the Kambly cookie shop was a nice way to end the rainy, cold day. (The picture of me on the bottom right was on a separate trip we did earlier in the summer). 

 

13-km Walk through the UNESCO World Heritage Site Entlebuch Biosphere

Tuesday August 13, 2024 -- After the strenuous 2-day hiking excursion on the weekend, we took Monday off, as we just really needed a break from walking!

But with more hiking vacation this week and the weather turning to rain again (and some fantastic thunderstorms... last night they measured 70,000 lightning flashes all around the country, and lots of flooding again, and roads closed to Grindelwald!), we knew Tuesday would be a pretty nice day, even though the temperatures are staying at 30ºC or more pretty much everywhere. With thunderstorms in the mountains in the afternoon, this makes it difficult to find a place high enough to keep cool.

So the alternative is to leave early, and we were out of the house by 6 a.m., headed to the Entlebuch region of Canton Luzern again, because that is close enough to start early on our planned 4-hour (13-km) walk! We started at Heiligkreuz near Schüpfheim at 7:45 a.m. and had most of our climb done by 8:30! The rest of the walk was fairly easy, through the lovely farming landscape of the Entlebuch Biosphere. Our hike ended at Flühli, the main village in the Sörenberg Valley through which the Waldemme River flows, and the starting and ending point of several other hikes in the past. We were already on our way home at 1 p.m., a 90-minute trip. 

At the train station in Schüpfheim, a large sign on a factory building welcomes you to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Entlebuch Biosphere. 

A small bus will take us up to the mountain village of Heiligkreuz, a popular pilgrimage site since 1344. (There were only four people in the bus this early morning at 7:30 a.m.) 

A view below us at the town of Schüpfheim as the bus takes us up to Heiligkreuz village. 

This is the Heiligkreuz church, built in 1588, although the current updated look is Baroque, 1754. We didn't go inside this time, as we had a good look at the interior last time we were here, on a hike in October 2023 (those photos are HERE)

First of many barns we saw along the way, this one is near the church. We started on our walk at about 7:45.

Name panels for when a family has babies is a tradition here in Switzerland. There are many children in this particular family!

A look back at the village of Heiligkreuz as we start on our way up the mountain. 

In all, this was about a 4-hour hike from Heiligkreuz to Flühli. (It took us about five hours to walk it, with a couple of breaks).

This was an interesting surprise! There was a small pond and picnic area after the bridge, right in the forest. 

The relatively easy ascent (about 230 meters) took us only 40 minutes, because the early morning air was cool and we had some shade. This is one final look over the Entlebuch region to the north, before we headed down on the south side. 

From here the trail marker has the rest of the walk to Flühli as 2 hrs. 40 minutes, but it was longer, as there is a 15-minute detour at the end of the hike just before reaching Flühli. Our next main goal is "Finishütte", where our map shows a chapel along the road. 

Heading on now along the south side of the hill. Later we crossed over to the pastures below the range on the other side. (This type of range is called a Flue)

We can see all the way into the Bernese Alps again, in particular the Brienzer Rothorn Range. 

We passed several of these types of farms along the way. Each one had the name of the farm painted on the building. This one is called Alp Hasler-Howald. 

There are always intriguing decorations and artwork to admire!

An easy and pleasant walk on a wide trail. It was very comfortable to walk, with a slight breeze. 

Early morning shadow along the north side of the Flue

Always being watched... After inspecting this photo, I saw that there were several swallows flying here as well. 

Did a flight have to be re-routed back to the airport?

This next farm is called "Ussere Chrazereberg" (i.e. Outer Chrazereberg). 

And the next farm is simply "Chratzereberg". We now get the first views of the well-known Schrattenflue range on the other side of the Sörenberg (Waldemme?) Valley. 

A close-up look at the north side of the Schrattenflue. 

And another zoomed view of the Brienzer Rothorn range and the Bernese Alps beyond that. Later, we passed by that farm with the red roof. 

Now we are getting closer to our next main goal, a small chapel along the main road below the farm called Finishütte. 

It took us an hour to get to the chapel at the Finishütte farm (further up the hill), so we must have really "sauntered", as the previous sign said it should only have taken 40 minutes!

Before heading to the other side of the valley, we wanted to have a look at this little chapel called "Kapelle Maria Einsiedeln Schafmatt", but we were confused because it looked like people lived in it! Luckily the residents were at home and showed us the entrance door to the chapel, right next to the entrance to their living quarters. 

The inside of this small chapel wal totally made of wood. You don't see this a lot. 

Inside of the chapel, totally made of wood. 

Continuing on now to Flühli, the sign tells us we are going to be walking through a moor landscape. 

Large parts of the path were indeed soft and wet!

Having now crossed a small river, we head up the other side of the valley. In the center along the road is the small church we just visited, and the Finishütte farm above it.  

A closer look at the small chapel with the attached living quarters.

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In the pasture above the small chapel, the entire herd of cows started moving. They usually do this if they are being called into the barn, but they all just walked to the fence and couldn't go further! (Usually there is a lead cow, and the others follow).

At just after 10 a.m. we got to the farm we had seen from the other side of the valley. It is called Under-Bargele. 

So many pretty farmhouses

A look back at another farm we just walked through. This is quite a structure!

A look up at the peaks of the Flue. The tallest one is called Schafmatt, but I don't know which peak that is. You can walk up to its summit. 

Now we get the first glimpse of what I called the "Sörenberg Valley", i.e. where the road passes through a narrow gorge from Schüpfheim to the north, and heads all the way up to the resort town of Sörenberg. (Also, the Waldemme river flows down here). 

Walking below the Schwändeliflue to our south. 

We took a detour to this bench on a hilltop, with the intention of having our picnic lunch here. But surprisingly, there was not even the slightest breeze here, and simply too hot. So we headed back down the hill to the next farm. 

Heading down from the hilltop bench. This is not an official trail, we just did a short-cut through the pasture. 

This was just the cutest house with the loveliest garden!

The trail was actually on the far side of this farm, but the owners let us pass through past their residence.

Looking back at Alp Aeschi. In retrospect, we should have asked the owners if we could have our picnic lunch under that beautiful tree in the shade!

Side note: Here are a few of the farms we passed along this stretch, all with their names painted on the barns: "Neuhütte" near Heiligkreuz, "Alp Hasler-Howald" with the cool root carving on the wall, "Finishütte" which was the farm above the chapel, and "Alp Aeschi" where we passed through the property instead of behind it. 

The next two kilometers were on a fairly overgrown and hard-to-find trail until the final descent to Flühli.

This is fun! After the second "crossing", we stopped in the shade of the forest to eat our sandwiches. 

Last stretch to go down into the town of Flühli

Looking uphill before heading down. 

A pretty impressive boulder. 

Looking up the valley in the direction of Sörenberg and the mountain range that separates this valley from Lake Brienz. 

This was so cute: The farmer was calling his cows to come from the pasture toward the barn, and they came running, the little ones ahead. The bull that followed at the back was

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The cows are headed to the barn because the farmer called them! The calves race ahead, and the massive bull saunters behind. This was the highlight of the day!

Always these beautiful flowers on the balconies

A look up to the mountains. It was through that grove of trees where we came down. 

Reaching the main square in Flühli at 12:40 after about five hours from the start of our walk. This is the "Hotel & Kurhaus Flühli", which used to be a wellness center

We had about 30 minutes to wait for the bus, so we sat on a bench in the shade next to the river. This is the 13:07 bus, and we were home by 2:45 pm. 

Heading down-valley with the bus back to the train station in Schüpfheim, we get a really good look at the mountain range (Aeschiflue, Baumgartenflue, etc.) where we walked through the pastures just below the forested areas. 

And in the underground passage at the Schüpfheim train station, another reminder that we are in the UNESCO Biosphere Entlebuch!

This is what our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps. In October 2023 we did the loop hike starting and ending in Heiligkreuz. This time we walked over the first crest into a valley north of the "Flue" range, and ended in Flühli. On three other occasions we either started or ended hikes in Flühli. 

Entlebuch region and the valley of the Waldemme River (in the circle).