Mountain traditions: Costumed cattle parade in the Alps | DW Documentary

foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] the Dairy Farmers of tyrol are trekking home with their cattle on their way back to the valley after a summer in Alpine pastures [Music] you always want to be where the cows are happy this is the highlight of the Year here in the Alps the alma trip the festive cattle drive we're about to get moving and the cows know it [Music] foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's just seven in the morning and the high pressure cleaner is already blasting Full Steam everything has to be spotless for the big day absolutely everything all 80 cows need to be cleaned head to toe harness rolls up his sleeves and gets down to business he's the guy who does the dirty work around here you just gotta deal with it today the cows are coming home and everything has to be cleaned including the cows and the people scrub up too Leona tala known as Hato is preparing the decorations for the freshly showered livestock he shares the herd with Martin kuntala who spends the summer in the mountains with the cows they may be good friends but they'll never agree on their favorite cow this is Alma all over there she's just so well behaved and calm it is she's the queen Alma and Zariah haven't quite finished their morning grooming two young herders are here to add the finishing touches Johannes and Jacob Johannes is busy combing the cow's coat so it'll have a nice and shiny gloss for the big day does the cow like getting all spruced up yeah does he know that for sure well not really Johannes admits but she definitely enjoys a bit of petting now and then he says and why have the cow's Tails been tied it's so it doesn't swing around or get dirty explains Jacob the young helpers work at the cattle run gives them some exclusive perks they get to immerse themselves in nature this kind of thing never happens at home [Music] this is part of the cattle run and it's long tradition no cow can March into town without the proper garb it takes a long time to put on the elaborate headdress and bells seemed too bothered by the whole process it's the crew that's hard at work cells are adorned with Christian symbols and an individual festive headpiece is designed for each of the 80 animals [Music] there's just one person who knows how to decorate each and every one of them does he know them all by name yeah for sure he says all 80 of them I know them by their Bells too each one has a different Bell when it's dark out and a cow comes I already know which one it is by the sound of the Bell ato's favorite cow Alma is now ready for the biggest day of the year today Alma is wearing a Swiss cowbell she's a beautiful simultaneous with horns too [Music] she grazed up at 2 000 meters she's wonderful he's tipped up after him it's always an emotional experience heading down from the Alpine pastures says Martin he's been on the Mountainside since the 28th of May without returning to the valley once and with all the work to do up here he says there's no time to get lonely they know what's going on they always get the same decorations now they're waiting for us to open the gates and then they'll March 14 kilometers 15 kilometer from the Alpine pasture an inner Outback to the town of right about 600 meters further down the slopes a healthy Alpine cow provides some 4 000 liters of milk a summer but makes for a lot of hard work for The Herder what with feeding milking and mucking out the barn of course it's it's important to stay healthy and fit because otherwise otherwise you can't do the work it's a 15-hour work day [Music] faster the marching order is decided with Zariah leading the way the 17 year old head of the herd is wearing a crown and walking beside Martin The Herder [Applause] at just 10 years old Alma's place is in the middle everything is just right according to hotel [Applause] really excited about the youngest members of the procession they're marching beautifully the really little one the two-year-old is already coming along like its second nature to her [Music] [Applause] and in the spring they'll be transported back to the mountains in a truck up here there are bigger pastures than in the smaller farms in the foothills there's not enough grass here while the Mountainside Meadows are extensive and Lush and the cows stabilize the ground with their hooves another thing that cows really love is how there are far fewer flies to bother them at higher altitudes along the way the first Spectators stopped to watch along with curious cows from other Farms but whether they're jealous or rather feel sorry for their fellow kind is anyone's guess [Music] the closer The Herder gets to Town the more relaxed he seems [Applause] foreign the hurt from the mountains clearly has the right of way here the 14 kilometer route is a blast for Johannes and Jacob they keep on trekking without taking a break until they reach light they're a huge audience awaits them [Music] the fourth time here already the cattle driving right has always been great today it's wonderful yeah to write every [Music] night everything is steeped in Tradition home to an abundance of handicrafts hearty food and Regional specialties such as sausage and ham including beef versions [Music] but some people seem not to care too much that it's a big day for the cows and their herders they just want to let loose and party there's no real need to make such a fuss of the cows they could just stay home while everyone else has a few drinks that's the most important thing it sure is well the music is great too of course but I could do without the cats cows are coming and now everyone has to make way [Applause] collisions are only narrowly avoided 80 cows gathered in a tight space with a few dozen helpers and lots of international guests even from Manchester England uh it's very impressive yeah the the head coloring head coverings are really interesting uh yeah it's quite yeah interesting cultural event so it's nice to be here at the right time to see it there are also drinks for the cows who are taking a break here before heading to their Barn hartle can immediately tell when one of them needs to stop and rest [Music] this one's tired 14 kilometers is quite a distance [Music] but is all this fuss good for the animals one visitor from the U.S has her doubts I started to wonder if it's okay especially with the big headdresses and the big bells I'm not sure if it bothers them or not they seem okay walking but they seemed tired when they were done is the cattle drive into the valley still an okay thing to do yeah it's fine animal rights activists say it's not healthy and they should be picked up by a truck yeah okay that's what they say they don't have a clue the cows are in great shape I think some athletes wouldn't be able to do what they can they go up to pastures 2 200 meters up and back down they're sporty and fit that's just 14 kilometers these critics really don't have a clue and either way probably no one here would ever allow this tradition to be canceled the eventful day ends in the peace and quiet of the barn to me it's nothing new to me it's just not a day like any other thing but there's still definitely a routine to it it's the that was the 50th cattle drive here I've been involved and it went wonderfully again it's always a real pleasure his favorite cow Alma is delighted to have a proper helping of tyrolian pasture and she gets to have a relaxing evening without her crown Zariah the queen of the cattle drive in the outback [Music]

Channel: DW Documentary

Views: 45,584

Keywords: Documentary, Documentaries, documentaries, DW documentary, full documentary, DW, documentary 2022, Almabtrieb, Alpbach, cows, cattle, Tyrol, Austria, mountain village, tradition, festivities, brass band, mountain village life, traditional life, Austrian tradition, Alpine Traditions, alps, Tyrolean Alps, alpine tradition

Id: nDRuXWj2QBI

Length: 12min 26sec (746 seconds)

Published: Mon Oct 10 2022