Twelfth Styrian Alpine Lamb Festival on 28th July 2019

With the all-new summer opening of the eight-seater gondola and Quattralpina chairlift, one of this summer’s highlights is the twelfth annual Styrian Alpine Lamb Festival on 28^th July.

Gathering the shepherd, his dog and a 400-strong flock, there’s a fun sheep race to bet and win, culinary lamb delights, and much more to make this day an adventure for the whole family. FREE ENTRY!

Program Highlights:

• Shepherd's arrival with his dog and flock
• Fun sheep race: bet and win
• Culinary delights showcasing Enns Valley Lamb
• Great raffle prizes
• Frühschoppen with the Haus im Ennstal marching band
• Awesome atmosphere with Schoffeichtkoglposchan, the Wörschach band
• NEW: eight-seater gondola, Quattralpina chairlift and Tauern gondola summer opening with exciting new attractions on the mountain.

The Alpine Lamb Festival starts at 9.30 am with a morning sermon. The official opening is at 10 am, leading into a brisk Frühschoppen from Haus im Ennstal's marching band. At 11 am, the shepherd and his dog will lead about 400 sheep into the festival. Schoffeichtkoglposcha, the Wörschach band, plays at 1 pm, and at 2 pm, the fun bet-and-win sheep race starts. Race prize giving and the raffle prize draw take place at 4.30 pm.

Explore various sheep products all day in the festival area.

Pony riding, face painting, arts and crafts, painting, and a large bouncing castle will make the little visitors happy.

For lunch at the festival, tuck into Enns valley lamb treats, Styrian wines and local fruit juices. Also, try the Ennstal farmers' delicacies: sweet and savoury krapfen – especially the ever-popular Styrian cheese krapfen – as well as home-baked cakes.

The project: Sheep flock maintains ski runs

 „The Alpine Lamb Project originally started as an EU LEADER project in 2008, and it developed quickly from there. It links the interests of cooperation partners from various industries and other areas of life. The focus is to create a high-quality product – the Ennstal lamb. At the same time, the alpine pastures are maintained ecologically by preventing them from overgrowing, and the biodiversity is sustained”, explains Walter Schmiedhofer, managing director of the Hauser Kaibling Ski Lift company. “As for ski-run maintenance”, he underlines, „the sheep are doing a great job: the flock naturally fertilizes the ski-run areas, making them firm by its movement. All of this prevents erosion, prevents the use of heavy machines, and is good for the environment.”

Before the sheep can go for their summer recreation, they have to be weighed and registered, and have to undergo a strict health check.

The 800 sheep on Hauser Kaibling feed on one million kilograms of lush grass, tasty alpine herbs, and bush leaves during one grazing period. Thanks to their efforts, the ski-run areas are fertilized, carefully neutralized, and made firm thanks to the flock.

Also, from an ecological point of view, the Leader Project offers something for everyone. It creates an extraordinarily high quality of life for the 800-strong flock, ensuring prime sheep products, while also saving energy and caring for the environment. “Thanks to the sheep cultivating the ski runs, fewer costs are incurred by the Hauser Kaibling Ski Lift company – up to 50 % lower maintenance and energy costs in summer. The huge reduction of fertilisers as well as less use of heavy machines result in savings and have a positive impact on the environment”, says Hauser Kaibling’s managing director.

The overarching goal of this project I to produce a high-quality product, to cultivate the alpine pastures ecologically with the help of sheep, to maintain the great alpine biodiversity, and to use it for tourism purposes. Last but not least, the Sheep Drive intends to benefit the locals farmers.

The Raumberg-Gumpenstein Education and Research Centre is conducting a scientific project, researching the impact of the area’s pasture management on the plant population as well on the animals (weight gain, quality of meat).