Black and white sheep take to the streets: Zermatt's Sheep Parade kicks off every June

Written/Compiled by Li Xinyi

Have you seen the black and white sheep parade? From June 30 to August 9 each year, every morning at 9 AM and afternoon at 5 PM, you can witness the fascinating sight of black and white sheep marching through the streets of Zermatt, Switzerland. This tradition is very interesting. It began when, with the arrival of summer, farmers in the Valais region had little time to care for their sheep as they focused on raising cattle. They gathered all the sheep together in front of Zermatt’s church square and hired local children to drive the sheep up to the Alps to graze on fresh mountain grass. In the evening, the sheep were herded back down the mountains to be milked by the farmers. The route took them through Zermatt’s main street—Bahnhofstrasse—creating a spectacular parade-like scene.

Before the 1950s, farmers in Switzerland’s southern Valais region primarily raised cattle, though some kept a few sheep to meet their own dairy needs. During the cold, snow-covered Swiss winters, the sheep were kept in barns on the farmers’ properties. After the 1950s, following the end of World War II, tourism began to develop. Farmers had less time to raise sheep, and this tradition gradually faded. However, the event has caught the attention of tourists and become hugely popular, now considered a unique feature of Zermatt.

To preserve this tradition, Zermatt Tourism continues to organize the sheep parade each summer, inviting farmers from the Valais region to participate. The black and white, horned sheep are a local breed unique to the Valais area, further highlighting the distinctiveness of Zermatt’s tradition.

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