2013 Desalpe / Alpabzug / Alpabfahrt / Schelpcha Guide

If you're in Switzerland at this time of year, you've probably already heard all about the Désalpe, the Alpabzug, or the Alpabfahrt, those awesome festivals where Swiss cows dress up to come down from their high elevation pastures and you get to welcome them back in town.

For your convenience, here's an ample selection of cow events in the coming weeks, listed by date and canton. It may not be exhaustive, but it's a heck of a lot better than anything else we've found on the Web! We're also providing links to the info page of each event (those are generally not available in English, but you'll figure things out).

Saturday, September 14
Valais: Grône
Bern: Innertkirchen, St Stephan (Lenk), Kandersteg
Zurich: Atzmännig
Uri: Wassen
Grisons: Klosters (Prättigau), Brigels, Savognin, Lenzerheide
Appenzell: Urnäsch AR
St Gallen: Mels (near Sargans)

Sunday, September 15
Schwyz: Einsiedeln (45' by train from Zurich; hop on the Ziegelbrücke train (S2) to Wädenswil and change to the S13)

Saturday, September 21
Neuchâtel: Lignières (above Lake Biel)
Vaud: Gryon
Valais - Val d'Anniviers: Ayer, Grimentz, St Luc, Vercorin
Valais - elsewhere: Obergesteln (Goms), Anzere (Sierre)
Fribourg: Schwarzsee
Bern: Suldtal (near Spiez), Bönigen (next to Interlaken)
Nidwalden: Ennetbürgen
Grisons: Flims, Rona (near Savognin); the Rona event is goat-centric!
St Gallen: Flumserberg

Saturday, September 28
Vaud: L'Etivaz (Pays-d'Enhaut), St Cergue
Valais: Crans-Montana
Fribourg: Charmey (Gruyère)
Lucerne: Schüpfheim (Entlebuch), Weggis (Lake Lucerne)
Obwalden: Kerns, Engelberg
Grisons: Guarda (Engadine) (this one is called a Schelpcha because the cows moo in Romansch)

Saturday, October 5
Jura: Le Boéchet
Fribourg: Semsales, Albeuve (Gruyère)
Valais: Morgins

Sunday, October 5
Glarus: Elm

Saturday, October 12
Grisons: Seewis (Prättigau)

Fur disclosure #1: since most of you are busy mid-week and none of you can time-travel, we're only listing weekend events and we're not listing 2013 events that already took place at the time of writing.

Fur disclosure #2: all the photos in this post are from the 2011 Désalpe in Semsales.

Legal disclaimer: though we did our best to list as many events as possible, it's entirely possible we skipped a few; if that's the case, please let us know.