Flowering cows.

Santa Gertrude. - Most of the natural meadows in the valley are still used for grazing. Walking in trekking towards the mountain passes you can easily meet grazing animals up to altitudes of 2000 m. If you are on holiday in this paradise in late August or early September, do not miss the arrival at the valley of the herds. The ritual, which wraps the community around the arrival of autumn, sees the cows as protagonists.

From early morning they are dressed up by shepherds with flowered crowns, wooden pendants between the eyes and huge cowbells secured around their necks by decorated belts. They have been together all summer, living symbiotically with the shepherds, who with the milkings set the rhythm of the days in the mountain pastures. Like the cows, for the last day in the open air, the shepherds also wear the traditional costume, with leather pants and blue aprons. Only at the sound of the whip, the Goaßln, the cows parade in procession in front of and together with the shepherds, the calves and the children follow them, as in a family, where the border between humanity and naturalness is tenuous and is a sweet celebration with an ancient and reassuring.