Viehscheid Buching (Halblech)

Allgäu Viehscheid — when the Alps come down to the valley

The Viehscheid — also called Almabtrieb — is one of the most important rural festival days in the Allgäu. Throughout the summer, the young cattle of the Allgäu mountain farmers spend their Sömmerung (summer grazing) on the high alpine pastures — for about three months, during which the animals grow, get stronger, and get used to the mountain air. In September, they are driven down into the valley and divided among their owners at the Viehscheidplatz — a tradition practiced for centuries.

Buching — District of the Municipality of Halblech in Ostallgäu

Buching is located in the Ostallgäu district in Bavaria and belongs to the municipality of Halblech. The village is scenically impressive — on the edge of the Allgäu foothills, overlooking the Buchinger Alpe and the mountain Tegelberg. The municipality of Halblech has just under 3,000 inhabitants and is known as a winter sports and alpine farming region. Nearby are Neuschwanstein Castle and Hohenschwangau Castle — making it one of the most touristy areas in southern Germany.

What happens on Viehscheid day

Viehscheid day follows a proven choreography:

• Early morning — the herdsmen and mountain farmers drive the cattle from the high alpine pastures down into the valley; the animals are festively decorated with bells, flowers, and ornaments ("Kranzkühe" - prize cows)
• Morning — arrival of the alpine herd in the Buching district at the Viehscheidplatz
• Morning/Midday — handshake handover of the cattle between the herdsman and owners — a specialty of Buching in the Allgäu Viehscheid calendar
• During the day — festival activities at the Viehscheidplatz with catering, Allgäu specialties, dancing, and live music
• Catering — Bratwurst, Kässpatzen, alpine specialties, beer from the Allgäu festival host
• Accompanying program — festive parade of the mountain farmers and herdsmen, traditional bands, reenactment of the tradition

The Handshake Tradition — Buching's Specialty

Unlike most Allgäu Viehscheiden, where the handover of animals is systematically regulated by lists and brands, in Buching, the personal handshake handover between the herdsman and owner remains. This form of tradition is considered unique in the Allgäu — and makes the Buching Viehscheid particularly worth seeing for tradition enthusiasts.

Embedded in the Allgäu Viehscheid Calendar

The Allgäu Viehscheid calendar includes dozens of alpine communities and villages that hold their Viehscheiden between mid-August and early October. Buching is one of the traditional, smaller, and more authentic events — in contrast to large tourist magnets like Bad Hindelang or Pfronten, which have become tourist events with tens of thousands of visitors.