Breeds of The Beaufortain
A Savoie valley of high summer pastures, where red Tarine and Abondance cows give milk for Beaufort cheese.
Breeds of this place
Best time: June to September, when the herds are on the alpages.
The Beaufortain is a mountain valley in Savoie, between the Tarentaise and the Mont Blanc massif. Its high meadows, called alpages, are grazed from June to September by herds of Tarine and Abondance cows. Their milk goes to make Beaufort, a large, firm cheese with concave sides, protected by a designation of origin.
Tarine and Abondance
Tarine cows, also called Tarentaise, are fawn to tawny, with dark-rimmed eyes and lyre horns, nimble on steep slopes. Abondance cows are red and white, with red patches around the eyes. Both breeds are hardy mountain dairy cattle, well suited to long walks between grazing and milking. They are the breeds required for Beaufort cheese.
Summer in the alpages
In June, herds walk up to the summer pastures, where they stay until autumn. Milking happens in the open air or in mountain chalets, and the cheese is often made close by. The roads over the Cormet de Roselend pass, above the valley, cross the high pastures among grazing herds.
A trail idea for The Beaufortain
- Beaufort village The valley's main village and its dairy cooperative.
- Arêches A mountain village with summer pastures above.
- Cormet de Roselend A high pass and lake among the alpages.
Written by the EveryCow desk with AI assistance. Background: "Beaufortain" 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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