Traditional Transhumance with Festivities and Folk Music.
In October, it’s time for the cattle, horses, goats, and sheep that spent the summer on the Seiser Alm to return to the valley. On the Seiser Alm, the Transhumance is traditionally celebrated on Rosary Saturday, the Saturday before the Harvest Festival. Starting at 10:30 a.m., cows adorned with flower wreaths and bells fill the streets of Compatsch. The colorful herd of around 250 cattle, sheep, horses, and goats, along with decorated carts, then heads towards the valley and Kastelruth around midday.
Festival on the Seiser Alm in Compatsch starting at 10:00 AM with moderation – featuring the alphorn players from Kaltern, the Seis am Schlern band, the Alpler Plattler Gitschen dancers, the music group Schellrodelmusig, and culinary delights provided by the rural youth and the Kastelruth farmers’ wives. Food and drinks will be well provided.
Festivities in Kastelruth start at 10:00 a.m. with commentary - For many years, it has been a tradition to celebrate the return from the Alm with music, dancing, food, and drink. The Farmers' Buffet and the Hunting Association of Kastelruth will provide refreshments at the entrance to Kastelruth, along the beautiful promenade. The Alphorn players, the Garner „Schuhplattler“, folk dance group of Kastelruth, the „Goasslschnalzer“ and the musical group „Schlernwind“ will provide entertainment. The festive procession with the animals and their handlers is expected to arrive in Kastelruth around 1:30 p.m.
Highlight in Kastelruth: At 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., during the festival, a traditional "South Tyrolean Muas" will be prepared over an open fire. This genuine, traditional dish made of milk, flour and butter was once cooked on the alpine pastures as a nourishing meal.
Cooking takes about 20 minutes – everyone is welcome to watch how this specialty is made.
Afterwards, spectators will receive a spoon and have the chance to taste the freshly cooked "Muas".
We recommend that you watch the entire Transhumance from the Seiser Alm to Kastelruth, as not all animals make it to Kastelruth. Some farmers take their animals to their farms before reaching Kastelruth. You can easily reach the Seiser Alm with the Seiser Alm Cable Car from Seis am Schlern. On this special day, you can use the Seis-Seiser Alm Cable Car at a special price of €15.00 (round trip)! Buses no. 3, 3A and 172 run between the Seiser Alm cable car and Kastelruth. Please note the road closures: after a certain time, no buses will run to Kastelruth, so you may need to travel to Telfen and walk from there to Kastelruth. Tour buses can reach the Seiser Alm before 9:00 a.m. Since the road will be closed for return traffic until 2:00 p.m., tour buses can only drive down after 2:00 p.m. Alternatively, tour buses can park at the Seiser Alm Cable Car station, and guests can reach the Seiser Alm by cable car. Parking for buses: Bus station in Kastelruth, Sporthütte parking lot, and in Telfen.
Directions
-The road from Compatsch to Telfen is closed downhill from 11:00 to 14:00.
-The road from Compatsch to Saltria is closed only for buses from 09:55 to 11:55.
-11:05–13:05: Temporary closure of O.-v.-Wolkenstein Street (Hotel Solaia – Gasthof Toni) for all traffic, except emergency vehicles, scheduled buses, and local residents. If needed, total closures up to 15 minutes for side events.
-Detour via Dolomiten Street – Platten Street.
-13:05–15:25: Temporary closures during cattle drive:
O.-v.-Wolkenstein Street (Hotel Solaia – Krausenplatz)
Wegscheid Street
Panider Street (from junction with Wegscheid Street – Tirlerhof)
Platten Street (beginning – Fire Station)
Sabine Jäger Street
Municipal road from Tisens – Liegerhof
Dolomiten Street
-Buses run until 13:05