A traditional Swiss mountain pasture festival, Désalpe takes place at the end of September. Known for its cheese, the village of Etivaz, in the Pays-d'Enhaut, honors this tradition every year during a convivial day dedicated to the terroirs.
After spending the whole summer in the mountain pastures, the herds come back down to the valley for the winter season. This transhumance gives rise to a traditional festival called "la Désalpe".
For this festive day, the cows wear their most beautiful bells and are carefully decorated by their owners. Accompanied by the herdsmen – the local term for the “shepherd of the Alps” – the herds are cheered on their arrival in the village. Residents and visitors then celebrate the terroirs with typical Swiss tastings and events such as alphorn concerts or flag throwing. A craft market stands all day in front of the house of Étivaz. The wrestlers of the Pays-d'Enhaut give demonstrations of wrestling while passages of the bell ringers of the Pays-d'Enhaut move in step over the entire place of celebration.
In the Vaudois Alps, the village of Étivaz is known for its cheese of the same name. Handcrafted in the mountain pastures, L’Etivaz AOP (Protected Designation of Origin) matures in the village cellars before being tasted on all the tables in Switzerland and elsewhere.
