L'Aubrac en Transhumance

A Millennial Pastoral Tradition Listed by UNESCO

Transhumance, the practice of seasonally moving herds to high-altitude pastures, has been inscribed on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2020. In Aubrac, this tradition dates back to the monks of the Aubrac abbey, founded in the 12th century, who structured pastoralism by organizing collective pastures and developing the land for livestock farming. Each year, around Saint-Urbain's Day (May 25th), Aubrac breed cows leave the Lot valley to reach the estives (summer pastures), located between 1,300 and 1,400 meters above sea level, where they traditionally stay until Saint-Géraud's Day (October 13th).

The Grand Transhumance Weekend

L'Aubrac en Transhumance is the biggest festive gathering of the year on the plateau. The event, prepared ten months in advance, brings together between 7,000 and 10,000 visitors who come to witness the ascent of the herds. On Sunday, the highlight of the festival, the cows adorned with flowers, ribbons, and bells cross the village of Aubrac to the cheers of the public, guided by the herders in traditional attire.

Animations, Markets, and Aubrac Gastronomy

The transhumance weekend is enlivened by a rich program of festivities: local producer markets, tastings of Aubrac specialties (aligot, Aubrac meat, Laguiole cheese, fouace), traditional concerts and dances, demonstrations of pastoral know-how, workshops for children, and guided hikes on the plateau. The friendly and warm atmosphere makes this event a unique moment of sharing between herders, locals, and visitors.

The Village of Aubrac, an Exceptional Setting

The village of Aubrac, located in the commune of Saint-Chély-d'Aubrac, offers a striking setting for the transhumance festival. Dominated by the Domérie d'Aubrac, a former monastic hospital founded in the 12th century on the Way of Saint James of Compostela, the village is surrounded by the vast expanses of the plateau, a landscape of moors, meadows, and forests classified as the Aubrac Regional Natural Park.