Experience an Austrian Almabtrieb in Tyrol in 2026

The Almabtrieb is the annual cattle drive when cows, sheep, and goats return from Tyrol’s high alpine pastures to the valleys for winter. More than 40 villages across Tyrol hold Almabtrieb festivals each September and October, complete with decorated animals, music, and traditional food. This guide covers the 2026 festival dates, what to expect, the best villages to visit, and practical tips for attending.

Every autumn, before the days get too short and temperatures start to drop, something wonderful happens across Tyrol: the cows come home. Decked out in enormous flower crowns and hand-painted bells, herds are walked down from the alpine meadows where they´ve spent the summer.

It´s called the Almabtrieb, and it´s one of the most authentic traditions you can witness in the Alps. So let´s start with a list of festivals where you can experience an Almabtrieb this year before going into the finer details.

List of Almabtrieb Festivals in Tyrol in 2026

What Exactly is an Almabtrieb?

“Alm” means alpine pasture, and “Abtrieb” means “driving down” – literally, the driving-down of the herds.

Each spring, cattle (and sometimes sheeps or goats) are led or driven up to the high mountain pastures – the Almen – where they graze through summer. In September and October, it´s time for them to return to the valley farms where they´ll spend the winter.

What makes an Almabtrieb a festival rather than just farm logistics is the decoration. If the summer passed without accident or illness in the herd, the animals are crowned with elaborate headdresses of alpine flowers, fir branches, and ribbons. They are also fitted with oversized bells attached to brightly embroidered collars.

Sometimes the headdresses display a picture of a saint or sometimes the name of the Alm (pasture) where the animal comes from. Others feature a Tyrolean saying. The bells and headdresses can weigh up to 20kg.

The dressing of the cows starts at the crack of dawn because the way home can be long and difficult. It´s not uncommon for herds to cover more than 20 km, including a steep descent, in one day.

Over time, colourful customs developed around the return of the livestock and the herdsman. Because there isn’t much time for eating and drinking while driving the animals home, the herdsman would be dying of hunger and thirst when arriving home. That’s why a feast awaits them to this day.

Of course, the fact that everyone makes it down the mountain safely is also a reason to celebrate with some schnapps or a beer. And to add to the festive mood, local musicians take up their instruments to provide a festive backdrop for traditional dances.

The farmers’ wives serve Kiachl, Knödel, and other traditional Austrian food, some of which are prepared only during this special occasion.

Interesting Almabtrieb Facts

• In Tyrol, around 110,000 heads of cattle, 70,000 sheep, 5,500 goats, and 2,000 horses graze on high Alpine pastures during the summer.
• The seasonal migration of livestock between summer and winter pastures is also called transhumance. Transhumance, as practiced in the Alps, where the animals move from the valleys to the high mountain pastures, is called vertical transhumance or Alpine transhumance.
• The reason why so many animals get driven into the mountains in summer is that there aren’t enough grazing areas in the valleys. The 2,100 alpine pastures in Tyrol add around 180,000 hectares of grazing land in summer.
• The grass on the mountain pastures is much healthier than the stable feed, resulting in better quality milk. Moreover, without the livestock grazing in the herb-rich alpine pastures, the meadows will become wild and overgrown.
• It’s not always easy for farmers to find mountain pastures for their cows near their homes. One of the farmers we know from Tulfes has to break his herd up, with one lot spending summer in the Karwendel mountains across the valley.
• The use of alpine meadows for grazing dates back to the Neolithic Age. Pollen analysis by researchers from the University of Innsbruck showed that alpine pastures in the Ötztal were grazed more than 6,000 years ago. This is one of the most interesting facts about Austria I’ve come across.
• The Tyrolean alpine landscape of today has essentially been the same since the Middle Ages. This can be seen, for example, in the Rattenberger Salbuch from 1416, which lists all the alpine pastures of the Alpbachtal.

When is the Almabtrieb?

The Almabtrieb often coincides with the autumn harvest festival in September and October. Most cattle drives accompanied by organised village festivities happen on a Saturday or Sunday. There are more than 40 noteworthy cattle drives in Tyrol alone.

You’ll find a detailed list, with dates and places, here. A lot of the text is in German, but it’s easy to understand the place names and dates.

Traditions do evolve, too. The Kaiserwinkl region (Kössen and Walchsee) has not held its old-style Almabtrieb since 2024 — it’s now been replaced by the Kaiserwinkl Schmugglerfest, a smugglers’ festival that celebrates the area’s history in a new way.

Our Favourite Almabtrieb Festivals in Austria

Reith im Alpbachtal

The Almabtrieb in Reith im Alpbachtal, a village in the Alpbach Valley between Kufstein and Innsbruck, is one of the most popular ones in Tyrol.

In Reith im Alpbachtal a parish festival is held on the same day. The authentic folk festival, with a farmers’ and craft market, is so popular that it’s now held over two weekends to accommodate the many visitors coming from near and far.

The arrival of the cows is hard to miss with the sound of their bells rising above the noisy crowds.

The town’s marching band and a variety of other bands perform on different stages during the day, while their listeners consume hundreds of litres of beer and merrily sing along as the day progresses.

When hunger strikes, there is no shortage of traditional Tyrolean dishes – from Knödelsuppe (dumpling soup) to sausages and Breze (pretzels) and Lebkuchen (spicy cake) cows.

Those who are more interested in culture and tradition than in partying can watch the local artisans practice their craft. There are basket weavers, wool weavers, woodcarvers, and schnapps distillers – with accompanying tasting of the latter!

Watching the Almabtrieb in Reith im Alpbachtal is an experience not to be missed, especially if it’s your only chance of witnessing an Almabtrieb in Tyrol. It showcases the best Austrian traditions all in one place.

Mayrhofen

Mayrhofen is a village in the Zillertal. On the day of the Almabtrieb, the individual farmers come from various side valleys, such as Zillergrund, Stilluptal, Tuxertal, and also from Ginzling and Schwendberg.

Each decorated herd is lead by a leading cow called the Moarkuh. She is followed by heifers, bulls, young oxen and sometimes also small livestock like sheep and goats.

Achensee

Tyrol’s largest lake gets even prettier when herds of colourful cattle descend from the surrounding mountains in the autumn. There are more than 50 managed mountain pastures in the Rofan and Karwendel mountains around Lake Achen.

Up to nine Almabtrieb festivals are held in the region between September and October, with the one from the Gramai Alm to Pertisau being one of the highlights.

Tips for Attending an Almabtrieb in Austria

• Take cash. While smaller Almabtrieb processions are free to watch, bigger ones may charge a fee to help cover costs. Adults pay €8 to enter Reith im Alpbachtal for the cattle drive.
• Try to arrive early to find parking and a good spot from where to watch the cows enter the town. Sometimes fields bordering towns are turned into parking areas with parking attendants showing you where to park.
• If you are relying on public transport, Kirchberg and Hopfgarten in the Brixen valley are well served by regional trains from Wörgl. We´ve attended both this way for a stress-free arrival.
• If you’re hungry and want to try some of the local delicacies, try to get your food before 12:00 if you don’t want to queue. Most Austrians eat exactly at noon!

If your trip doesn’t line up with an Almabtrieb, our review of the Tiroler Abend with the Familie Gundolf is a good alternative for traditional Tyrolean music, dancing, and food, available year round in Innsbruck.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Almabtrieb pronunciation?
Almabtrieb is pronounced “ALM-ab-treeb” (roughly AHLM-ahp-treep) in German. The word combines Alm (alpine pasture) with Abtrieb (driving down), so it literally means “the driving down from the pasture.”

What is an Almabtrieb festival?
An Almabtrieb festival celebrates the safe return of cows, sheep, and goats from their high mountain pastures to the valley for winter. The animals are decorated with flower headdresses and bells, and the day usually includes music, food stalls, and dancing.

When can I see an Almabtrieb in Austria?
Most Almabtrieb events in Austria take place between September and October, with Tyrol alone hosting more than 40 cattle drives. Popular spots include Reith im Alpbachtal, the Zillertal, and the Achensee region.

Is the Almabtrieb the same as an Austrian cow festival?
Yes, the Almabtrieb is often described as an Austrian cow festival, since beautifully decorated cows are the stars of the day, although sheep, goats, and horses take part in some villages too.

Do I need to buy tickets for an Almabtrieb festival?
Smaller Almabtrieb processions are usually free to watch, but bigger Almabtrieb festivals such as Reith im Alpbachtal charge a small entrance fee (currently €8 for adults) to help cover costs.

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