Viehscheid Haslach (Oy-Mittelberg)

Almabtrieb in the Allgäu

When the alpine pasture season ends in September, the cows in the Allgäu return from the mountain pastures to the valley – an event celebrated in every Allgäu village: the Viehscheid. In Haslach, a district of Oy-Mittelberg located on the Grüntensee, it takes place on Saturday, September 26, 2026, starting at 11 AM. The herd from the Haslach alpine pasture arrives in the valley in the morning, is welcomed in the village, and then separated by family.

The Haslach Pfeifenclub

What makes the Haslach Viehscheid special: the organizer is the Pfeifenclub Haslach, an association dedicated to the tradition of the tobacco pipe – an unusual organizational model that characterizes the village. The Pfeifenclub organizes the festival activities at the fire station with a small heated festival tent and provides catering for visitors with Allgäu specialties.

Music in the Festival Tent

In good weather, the Almabtrieb is accompanied by local brass music. Several Allgäu music groups will perform in the festival tent: the Fruchtzwerge, the Jugendkapelle, the Alphornbläser Maria Rain, the Gaile Truppe, and the Alpfuier. A colorful mix of traditional folk music, alphorn melodies, and modern Allgäu folk music – ensuring the entire festival day is musically accompanied.

The Grüntensee and the Allgäu Landscape

Haslach is situated on the Grüntensee, one of the most beautiful small lakes in the Allgäu, at the foot of the Grünten – the distinctive local mountain of the Allgäu. The municipality of Oy-Mittelberg is located in the Oberallgäu district, in one of the most traditional alpine farming regions of Southern Germany. Here, the Viehscheid is a central event for identity and tradition, reenacting the connection between the valley and the alpine pastures each year.

Almabtrieb Season in the Allgäu

The Viehscheid in Haslach is part of a series of Allgäu Almabtriebe that take place in September. Each village has its own date and its own character – Pfronten, Bad Hindelang, Maierhöfen, Oberstdorf, and many others. Those who want to experience the Almabtrieb season in the Allgäu can visit different events on consecutive weekends.