Almabtrieb in Taufers im Münstertal (Mitteralm)

The autumn cattle drive in Taufers im Münstertal

The Almabtrieb in Taufers im Münstertal is the festival that marks the annual return of livestock from high-altitude pastures to the valley floor each September. It takes place in Taufers im Münstertal (Tubre), the westernmost village in South Tyrol, nestled in the Val Monastero just a stone's throw from the Swiss border, in the province of Bolzano, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol region. It is an event deeply rooted in the local farming culture, where tradition is not staged for tourists but lived by the entire village community.

What is the Almabtrieb?

After a summer spent on the pastures of the Mitteralm, located in the side valley of Avingatal, the herds are brought back down to the valley at the start of autumn before the cold makes life at high altitudes impossible. When the grazing season concludes without incident, the return becomes a moment of celebration and thanksgiving: the animals are led down along the trails to the valley floor. The cows that produced the most milk during the summer receive special recognition and are richly adorned with flowers, large bells, and head ornaments, following a ritual passed down for generations in the South Tyrolean valleys.

The celebration at the Festplatz

The heart of the festival is the Festplatz at the entrance to the Avingatal, the local association square at the valley's gateway. The day begins with a religious service and continues with musical entertainment; the livestock descending from the Mitteralm reaches the square around 1:00 PM, greeted by the entire community. The arrival of the herds and the herdsmen is celebrated with a small folk festival featuring food and drinks, where visitors can savor the specialties of rural Vinschgau cuisine and experience the ancient bond between the village families, their animals, and the mountains.

Taufers im Münstertal and the Val Monastero

Taufers im Münstertal lies in a quiet, secluded valley—the only Italian portion of the Val Monastero (Münstertal). Far from major transit routes, it retains an intact rural character with strong German linguistic and cultural roots. The Mitteralm Almabtrieb is part of the calendar of numerous autumn cattle drives in the Upper Vinschgau valley, each with its own dates and customs, representing one of the most genuine expressions of the local alpine heritage, set against a backdrop of meadows and forests at the foot of the peaks marking the Swiss border.