BAD HINDELANG: Bavarian herdsmen have gathered together in the Alps in for an annual autumn ritual, driving their herds of cattle from high mountain pastures to the valley below in preparation for the cold winter to come.

Dressed in traditional lederhosen pants and felted hats garnished with flowers and other adornments, the herdsmen of all ages drove about 700 cattle Wednesday down from their pastures high above the town of Bad Hindelang as tourists watched on.

The annual ritual sees the animals, some themselves adorned with wreaths of autumn flowers, brought down from Alpine pastures, between 800 and 1,200 meters (some 2,600 to 4,000 feet) above sea level, to winter in the warmer areas below.

(Agencies)