Alpabzug Mürren - the Schiltalp cattle descent

Every September the herds that spent the summer on the Schiltalp are brought back down to Mürren, dressed in flowers, ribbons and heavy bells. It is one of the most accessible cattle descents in the Jungfrau region, and it happens a short trip across the valley from Wengen.

The event

The Alpabzug marks the end of the alpine summer. After months on the high pastures above the Lauterbrunnen valley, the cattle are led down from the Schiltalp into Mürren by the herders who spent the season with them. The animals are decorated for the walk, the largest bells go to the leading cows, and you tend to hear the procession long before you see it, a loose clatter of bells drifting down the mountainside towards the village.

This is a working day rather than a performance. Nobody sells tickets, there is no grandstand and no fixed running order. The herders bring the animals in, the village comes out to meet them, and the whole thing has the feel of a homecoming because that is what it is. Mürren has no road access, so the procession moves through a village with no traffic to work around, which makes it unusually easy to watch at close range.

One thing to plan around: the date is not published in advance. The descent depends on conditions on the alp and is confirmed only shortly beforehand, generally for a day in the middle of September. Recent years have fallen in the second half of the month, so if you are travelling for it specifically, keep the middle of the month flexible.

Mid-September is a rewarding time to be in the valley regardless. The summer traffic has thinned, the walking trails are still open, and the light on the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau has taken on its autumn edge.

Practical information

When: mid-September 2026. The exact day is announced at short notice and depends on conditions on the alp.
Where: Mürren, above the western side of the Lauterbrunnen valley.
Getting there: roughly an hour from Wengen. Take the Wengernalpbahn down to Lauterbrunnen, then the cable car to Grütschalp and the mountain railway on to Mürren.
Price: free to watch.

Plan your stay

Victoria Lauberhorn sits beside the station in car-free Wengen, which makes an unannounced event like this one easy to catch: when the date lands, you are an hour away rather than a country away. Come back afterwards to the spa and dinner in the restaurants, and let the rest of the week in Wengen fill itself in.