A Cow Parade in Tyrol: Inside Austria’s Almabtrieb

While living abroad in Germany, my goal is to experience as many local European traditions, festivals, and special celebrations as possible. Since Austria is only a few hours’ drive from where we live and the traditions and celebrations there are closely tied to my husband’s native German culture, we decided to begin our adventures there.

Fall is my favorite season. I love celebrating the start of the period with local festivals, and Austrians have one of the coolest ways of doing this. What better way to celebrate the start of fall than with local beer, wine, cheeses, a huge block party, and a parade of decorated cows?! The Austrian Almabtrieb is the answer.

What Is Almabtrieb

Almabtrieb literally translates to “cattle drive.” This tradition marks the start of fall in the mountain regions where these cows call home. During the summer months the cows and their owners hike up the local mountains and live in the green, lush mountaintop pastures for the summer months. At the end of the summer the cows are brought home with their owners to enjoy their farm pastures on the valley floor below for the winter season, as the mountain tops are too cold for them to live in.

The whole town or local village participates in celebrating their return by throwing a large party for everyone to participate in.

The cows are decorated with large wreaths and headdresses adorned with religious images and flowers. We were told by the event organizers at the start of the celebration day that the cows only wear the headdresses if every cow comes back down together. If one cow is missing, passes, or chooses not to come down the mountain at that time, then none of the cows will wear the decorations. In addition to the large and beautiful headpieces, the cows also wear large bells around their necks. Many were twice the size of my head!

Regionally, this event is celebrated differently and named differently across Switzerland, Southern Germany, and Austria. We chose to attend in Reith im Alpbachtal as it is one of the largest Almabtrieb events in the region. The event is so large here, with so many farms and cows participating, that it occurs over two weekends in September.

To note, most of these events occur from mid-September to possibly the first weekend in October. Many towns announce the event a year in advance. If you are interested in attending, I highly recommend booking your accommodation as soon as you decide to go.

The Event

Nestled in the valley of the Tirolean Alps is Reith im Alpbachtal. This little village is picturesque with its sloping main street surrounded by views of the mountains. On your journey here you pass the cutest farms and meadows. The whole area looks like a scene from “The Sound of Music” or straight out of the pages of “Heidi.”

Before entering within the town limits, this Almabtrieb does charge admission (for the year 2025 this cost was €8 per person), but it is very worth the price to support this amazing event.

Music, Parades and Local Wares

We knew this event would involve the (hopefully) decorated cows walking through the town, but we did not anticipate the level of party this town puts on for such an event! For this town the day’s event begins at 10 a.m. with a parade of local Tirolean musicians in traditional dress. The coolest part was the participation of alphorn musicians as well. Musicians of all local instruments and song varieties played throughout the day-long festivities across the town.

Throughout the town there are stalls with merchants selling local Tirolean wares. My favorites were traditional cowbells of all sizes, local honey, handwoven baskets, and handmade pottery.

In addition to many local goodies to buy and take home, we also participated in the tradition of tandem sawing logs. The resident woodcraftsmen had participants work in pairs sawing a log from locally sourced wood. After we created our log piece they stamped it with the head of an Alpine cow. Such a fun and unique souvenir to remember the trip by!

Food and Drink at the Festival

Dotted in between the handiwork stalls were food stalls selling local cakes, wild game sausages, rotisserie chickens, local cheese dishes, and so much more. Being in Austria, of course there were a variety of local beer and wine options as well. We loved trying the local “Tirola Cola.” This Tirolean version of cola is made in the next town nearby and tasted very similar to Coca-Cola. The event is well spread out through the tiny town, which allowed for a good traffic flow of people and a variety of stalls to see on every street.

Watching the Cows Come Down the Mountain

The main event of seeing the cows come down the mountain begins at noon and occurs hourly until 3 p.m. Not only do you see the cows, but you hear them with the loud clanging of the giant bells they wear. Many local farms participate, so they go down the mountain at intervals throughout the afternoon.

The bands continue to play throughout the day and five minutes before the cows enter the area, they stop playing and announce the cows will be arriving soon. Before you even see the cows, you can clearly hear them coming down the mountain path.

The passage of the cows is much faster than I anticipated, so be ready when you hear them coming! Don’t worry, the farmers are with them and keep them on track, so they don’t wander into any onlookers.

Where To Stay

We originally wanted to stay in the town itself, but even with booking in February for a September event all hotels were booked out. Instead, we stayed at a nearby castle, which was a unique experience.

Castle Matzen is a short drive or about a 30-minute walk to the town of Reith in Alpbachtal. We chose to walk and leave our car in the safety of the parking lot for the hotel. We were lucky with the gorgeous weather day for the event, which made the walk a fun part of the experience. There is a clear and well-labeled path that leads you straight into the town from the castle.

The rooms at the castle were spacious with surrounding views of the castle and a medieval courtyard. There is a connecting restaurant which I highly recommend for a true Tirolean meal. Breakfast was traditional with local pastries, cheeses, cold cuts, and cheesy scrambled eggs. There is a nearby park which is perfect for running off energy if you are traveling with a little one or a dog. Many visitors had dogs with them at the castle as well.

This was the absolute ideal stay for this amazing weekend event. Be aware this hotel also sold out quickly, and we got one of the last rooms available for the weekend when we booked in February.

If You Go

This event typically takes place on various weekends in September. Depending on which region of Austria, Germany or Switzerland you would like to see this event in, will depend on the weekend it occurs.

Some towns have a website and advertise the event well while others are by word of mouth and locally advertised only. I highly recommend attending the one we did in the town of Reith im Alpbachtal as it is well advertised with clear dates here.

Getting There and Getting Around

Driving is the best way to explore the local area and get to the main event. There is local parking areas, but it does fill up fast in the main event/cow parade area.

Many hotels in the region offer shuttles to and from the main event as well. Make sure to ask and check with the hotel you book to ensure this is an option.

Extend Your Trip to Innsbruck

The next closest big city in Austria to tag on a visit to is Innsbruck. The drive is scenic and only 40 minutes away.

Innsbruck is a medieval city of origin tucked into the valley of the Alps. The picturesque Inn River runs along the edge of the city, creating the perfect atmosphere for a fall stroll during the time of the Almabtrieb.

What to Pack

As this event takes place in the beginning of fall in the Austrian Alps don’t forget to come prepared. Ensure you have walking shoes to explore some of the mountain trails and can easily walk through the town for the event.

Make sure you also pack layers and rain gear as the weather can shift quickly. For layering, always bring a vest and a shell jacket, as throughout the day, as the sun comes out, it is much warmer compared to the mornings and evenings.

If you have the local attire of a dirndl or lederhosen, you are more than welcome to wear that as well!

Local Customs and Souvenirs

Do note, in Austria and neighboring Germany, stores of any kind are not open on Sundays. Make sure to grab any essentials on the other days of the week when visiting. We often use Sunday as a travel day to head home as we cannot pick up souvenirs on the way.

Speaking of, a great local souvenir to grab is a Marillen-flavored snack or treat for the journey home! In local shops and grocery stores (Spar, Interspar, Billa), jams, drinks and snacks flavored with Marillen are widely popular. Marillen is the Austrian answer to apricots, and it is delicious in any form.

While living abroad, I love to immerse myself in the unique celebrations and traditions of the area I am living in. The Almabtrieb was the perfect family-friendly weekend event! It offered the best combination of special activity, delicious local food and drinks, and in the most beautiful setting. I cannot wait to explore another one in a new city next fall, and this time I will bring my dirndl along to match the locals!

Please note, I am in no way affiliated with the castle we stayed at or the event itself. There is no kickback or monetary value for me in sharing this information.

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Author Bio: Dara is an avid American traveler whose passport tells the story of a life lived across four countries, three continents, and journeys through more than forty-five others. She is constantly adding new locations to her travel bucket list and hopes to visit more than 50 countries total by the end of this year. She embraces the adventure of travel so deeply she even met her German husband while living abroad in China. Whether navigating bustling city streets or remote mountain paths, she chases the human stories that make every place unforgettable.

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