After my morning climbing on the wall in Lucerne, I wanted to go on a boat ride on Lake Lucerne so I asked for a recommendation at the Visitor’s Center. I decided to go to Weggis. The afternoon proved to be perfect for a boat ride, sunny and about 68. In Weggis, I stopped in the visitor center and learned it had a surprise for me.
There was a Cow Festival with crafts, flowers, bread, cheese, farm equipment, etc. Then there were the Brown Swiss Cows. There was a competition and the winners were awarded bells. The bigger the bell, the higher the award. Brown Swiss cows have been bred for high fat milk production which is good for making cheese. At the end of the event, each group herded their cows through the streets with all the bells clanging. There were some really BIG bells and I wish I could post a video so you could hear the cacophony of all the bells. It was also amusing to watch the bystanders.
It was a lot like a County Fair with a lot of family/community involvement. Some of the groups herding the cows through the streets were mostly adults, but several had children bringing up the rear. There was a great deal of camaraderie with this event. I believe this was a once in a lifetime experience for me and being raised on a dairy farm in PA increased my appreciation..
Most of the people used a long string to contain the cows as they moved them throught the the crowds. People spaced out up one side holding the string, which also went across the front of the herd and down the other side. It worked to keep the cows together. The people also had sticks to redirect an errant cow. The cows are used to moving together as they travel to the high meadows to eat in the summer and return to the farm for the rest of the year. I did find moving the cow herd fascinating.
At the end of the cow parades, I walked along the lake to pass the time until the next ferry boat returned to Lucerne. It was quite an afternoon. Weggis had some lovely old buildings and I visited a cemetery with more interesting markers and beautiful flowers.
Most of the people used a long string to contain the cows as they moved them throught the the crowds. People spaced out up one side holding the string, which also went across the front of the herd and down the other side. It worked to keep the cows together. The people also had sticks to redirect an errant cow. The cows are used to moving together as they travel to the high meadows to eat in the summer and return to the farm for the rest of the year. I did find moving the cow herd fascinating.
At the end of the cow parades, I walked along the lake to pass the time until the next ferry boat returned to Lucerne. It was quite an afternoon. Weggis had some lovely old buildings and I visited a cemetery with more interesting markers and beautiful flowers.
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Those black metal items are bells.
Cows moving through the crowds. Most of the people used a long string to contain the cows. There were people spaced out up one side holding the string, which also went across the front of the herd and down the other side. It worked to keep the cows together. The people also had sticks to redirect an errant cow. The cows are used to moving together as they travel to the high meadows to eat in the summer and return to the farm for the rest of the year.
I’m not sure the significance of the decorated cows. If I was one of these cows, I think it would annoy me.
At the end of the cow parades, I walked along the lake to pass the time until the next ferry boat returned to Lucerne. It was quite an afternoon.
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| Weggis had some lovely buildings. |
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| Views along the lake. |
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| More beautiful flowers and stones in the cemetery. |
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