The Cows Are Home

On Wednesday, the cows came home to Oberstdorf after a summer spent in the mountain pastures. In a traditional event called the Viehscheid, the cows are brought in then divided up to go with their owners. In September many towns hold them. Here in Oberstdorf, it drew hundreds of spectators and there’s food, drink, and live music.

Many of the cows (and goats) we’ve seen in and around town wear small bells. I really enjoy hearing the tinkle of those bells (or, if I’m being fancy, the tintinnabulation, a word that’s just fun to say). For the Viehscheid, the small bells have been changed out for enormous ones. We could hear the animals coming long before they came into view – a distant rumble like thunder. As they passed by, it was deafening.

Some of the cows had a rather wild look in their eye – were they deafened too, were all the onlookers making them nervous, or were they trying to find their grazing buddies?

Cows are big business here – and not just the animals themselves. You can buy local cheese, milk, and yogurt, and cowbells, cow figurines, and cow pictures – like these in our rental.