Why do I need to know Almabtrieb?
An Almabtrieb is the autumn drive that brings livestock down from an Alpine pasture and back into the valley.
You’re particularly likely to encounter the word in Tyrol, Salzburg, Styria and other Alpine parts of Austria during September and early October. It appears on tourism websites, posters, and event programmes because the animals' return is often marked by a village celebration.
This coming weekend alone, Almabtriebe are planned for September 12th in places including Steeg, Jerzens and Pfunds in Tyrol, Rauris in Salzburg, Bad Kleinkirchheim in Carinthia and the Hochwechsel area in Styria. Dates can change depending on mountain weather and conditions.
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What does it mean?
Almabtrieb is a compound of Alm and Abtrieb.
An Alm is a high Alpine pasture where livestock graze during the warmer months. Abtrieb comes from the idea of driving or moving animals down or away.
Together, the word describes the return from the mountain pasture at the end of the summer grazing season.
The animals may be decorated with elaborate flowers, greenery and large bells for the journey. In many places, their return has become a public event with music, markets and regional food. The decorations can also express thanks for the animals returning safely after their summer in the mountains.
The practical farming tradition comes first, though. Austria’s mountain pastures have been used for livestock grazing for centuries, with farmers, herders and animals moving up into the mountains for the summer and returning to the valley as the weather gets colder.
There’s even a word for the journey in the opposite direction. The springtime movement of livestock up to the Alpine pastures is the Almauftrieb.
READ ALSO: Changing economy and climate hit Austria's Alpine pastures
The Voralberg case
Yes. If you’re in Austria’s westernmost province, you’re more likely to encounter Alpabtrieb.
Vorarlberg uses Alp where much of the rest of Austria uses Alm, so the underlying tradition is the same. Vorarlberg tourism describes the Alpabtrieb as the festive culmination of the farming year, when livestock return from the high pastures to the villages.
Der, die or das?
It’s der Almabtrieb.
The plural is die Almabtriebe.
The final part of the compound determines the gender, so Almabtrieb is masculine just like der Abtrieb.
The pasture itself, however, is feminine: die Alm. The plural is die Almen.
Use it like this:
Am Samstag fahren wir zum Almabtrieb nach Tirol.
On Saturday we’re going to an Almabtrieb in Tyrol.
Beim Almabtrieb werden die Kühe festlich geschmückt.
The cows are decorated for the Almabtrieb.
Im September finden in vielen Orten Almabtriebe statt.
Almabtrieb events take place in many towns and villages in September.
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