For the tenth time, the “Gstaad Züglete” will take place this summer, with the traditional descent of the cattle herds through Gstaad’s Promenade. Over the years, the event has grown steadily and is now an established highlight of the destination’s summer programme.

What began on a small scale has become a gathering of international renown. Visitors from all over the world come to admire the return of the farming families with their decorated cattle. Yet one thing has remained unchanged: the Gstaad Züglete is no staged show.

The organising committee simply manages the families' arrival in the village and oversees the supporting programme. Nothing can be imposed. The date a family returns to the valley, for instance, depends on the feeding conditions on the Alpine pastures. This, in turn, can determine whether they can join the “Gstaad Züglete” or not.

Animal welfare is a priority for both the committee and the farmers themselves. Most descents in the region are done on foot, whether they are part of the Gstaad Züglete or not. The cattle are happy to return to their farms in the valley, and the walk through the crowd is nothing unusual for them.

Nevertheless, visitors are asked to keep their distance. Unfortunately, today’s selfie culture sometimes leads to risky behaviour, with people standing in front of the herd or getting too close to the animals in search of the perfect shot.

New this year: after the official “Züglete”, the celebration will continue into the evening. In the big tent at Kapälliplatz, Luniface will provide live music and a bar until late.

As in previous years, visitors can support the event by purchasing the official festival badge. For the 10th anniversary, a limited collector’s box featuring all badges from past editions will also be available. These can be purchased at Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus or at the speaker’s booth.

The event starts at 9.30am, read more about the program here