Urach Shepherds' RunBad Uracher Schäferlauf

Every two years (odd years) in late July, Bad Urach hosts the Schäferlauf, a centuries-old shepherds' festival. Dating back to a 1723 Duke’s decree, shepherds and shepherdesses race 300 steps barefoot across fields (the Wettlauf) and perform a traditional shepherd’s dance (Schäfertanz). The town square fills with market stalls, folk music, and local crafts in celebration of rural Schwabian life 1. Attendees can witness folks in historic woolen costumes, markets of local cheese and crafts, and the ceremonial blessing of sheep, experiencing Swabian agricultural heritage firsthand.

This festival honors the region’s shepherding traditions on the Swabian Alb. It stemmed from a Duke’s 1723 decree to allow local shepherds to hold their own run (Schäferlauf) instead of traveling to distant markets 1. The event preserves knowledge of pastoral life (leonine skills, sheep care, rural crafts) and fosters community identity tied to hill farming.