Désalpe in Semsales

Of all the ancient mountain celebrations, the Désalpe is the most well-known. Cows descend to the plain after grazing in alpine pastures for over four months. In Semsales, the Désalpe is always held on the Saturday before the first Sunday in October. It is a genuine and enduring ritual deeply ingrained in regional culture and history. This time, the cows will have vividly colored flowers on their heads and booming bells around their necks. Farmers, artisans, townspeople, villagers, and tourists from Switzerland and outside gather to share and take part in the festival of mountains and alpine valleys throughout this fall season. On this day, the village comes alive to greet them, with local food vendors, a craft market, alpine horns, and bell ringers enlivening the settlement's main thoroughfare.