The difficult search for real Swiss cows

For tourists and locals alike, cows are inextricably linked with the image of Switzerland. But in most cases, this Swiss national symbol has non-Swiss origins. The search for an authentically Swiss cow is hard. In Switzerland, cows are everywhere: in souvenir shops in the form of wooden figurines, on the packaging of many dairy products, and in art and folklore. And, of course, in the fields and stalls. According to the animal statistics website Identitas, at the end of April 2025 there were 1,505,003 registered cattle in Switzerland, including 664,032 cows. Cattle are the most common domesticated animal family in Switzerland – at least if we limit ourselves to declared and registered animals. Cattle have been present in Switzerland for a very long time. The first traces of domestication date back to the Neolithic period, according to the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland. Over the centuries, cattle rearing grew considerably, with cheese even becoming one of Switzerland’s main ...