Entlebucher Alpabfahrt

Itinerary

Thousands of people stand on the roadside in the village of Schüpfheim and wait in anticipation. Many wear an Edelweiss shirt or even a traditional Entlebuch costume (women) or the ‘Chüjer’ (the traditional men's costume consisting of a black jacket edged in red and white and embroidered with Edelweiss) to celebrate the day. Women in traditional costume serve coffee from a knapsack, the barbecue at the bratwurst stand is full and a delicious aroma of cheese slices wafts past. People are busy buying alpine cheese and other regional products at 25 market stalls. Several yodelling clubs have spread out along the car-free street, passing the time with traditional songs. In between, the sounds of the Alphorn Association can be heard or the Schüpfheim children's dance group performs a cheerful little dance. But then suddenly people prick up their ears and all eyes turn towards Sörenberg. Rumbling like thunder in the distance, they are coming!

Speaker Bio announces the first of the seven herds: The Distel family set off from their alp Hintersteinetli Sörenberg at seven o'clock in the morning. After a 16-kilometre walk, they now pass through the village of Schüpfheim at around half past eleven, but they still have another 9 kilometres to go before they reach their valley home ‘Graben’ in Doppleschwand. Endless applause and loud cheers erupt for the magnificently decorated cattle, for the smart drivers dressed in traditional costumes and ‘Chüjer’, for the work of the Alpine families throughout the summer, for the preservation of this living tradition, the Alpabzug.

Dessert
Emmental meringue with ice cream and ‘Nidle from the show dairy’

Itinerary

• Arrival in Schüpfheim
• 10.00 a.m. March through Flühli & start of cheese and regional products market
• From 11.00 a.m. the 7 herdsmen's families march into Schüpfheim, with folklore performances in between. 15 minutes after the last herd: large choir of yodellers, alphorn players on the church steps & start of the Älplerchilbi in Schüpfheim
• 15.00 hrs Onward journey to Affoltern im Emmental
• Dessert and opportunity to shop at the show dairy
• Return journey to the starting points