Breeds of The Allgäu and the Viehscheid
The green foothills of the Alps in southern Germany, where brown cows are brought down from the mountains in September.
Breeds of this place
Best time: September, for the Viehscheid.
The Allgäu is a hilly region of southern Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, at the foot of the Alps. It is dairy country, with green meadows, hay barns and cheese dairies. Its cows are mostly Braunvieh, brown cattle related to those of Switzerland. Each September, the herds return from summer pasture in the Viehscheid, the cattle separation.
The Viehscheid
Herds from many farms spend the summer together on shared alpine pastures. In September, herders bring them down to a meeting place in the valley, where each farmer's cattle are separated out and taken home. If the summer passed safely, the lead cow wears a wreath. Bad Hindelang and Oberstdorf hold some of the best known Viehscheids, with music and festivities.
Brown cattle
The old brown cattle of the Allgäu are the Original Braunvieh, a dual-purpose type kept by a growing number of breeders. Most modern herds carry Brown Swiss blood for higher milk yields. The milk goes to dairies making Emmental-style and other mountain cheeses. Kempten, the region's main town, holds breeding cattle auctions.
A trail idea for The Allgäu and the Viehscheid
- Bad Hindelang A village known for its September Viehscheid.
- Oberstdorf A mountain village with another large Viehscheid.
- Kempten The region's main town and its cattle auctions.
- Alpine pastures Summer grazing above the villages.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Allgäu" on Wikipedia. Fair dates, markets and visiting rules change; check locally before travelling, and keep a respectful distance from working animals. If something is wrong, tell us.
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