What better symbol of Switzerland than its beautiful cows?

It's summertime, so the hills are alive with the sound of... cowbells. Well, actually, the farmers remove the cowbells once the cows arrive on the slopes...but the hills are certainly alive with cows, and these cows have the best views in Switzerland! I know this for sure, because I followed a group of them up the mountain.

But did you know that these cows arrive there quite ceremoniously? Adorned with flowers and all?

And that these cows are as athletic -- if not more so -- than their Swiss minders? Believe me, these cows are possibly the world's best alpine hikers!

And did you know that when they are up on the alps, this is when the majority of the deliciously famous "Swiss cheese" is made, right up there on the alps?

The cows stay there until mid October, to give the farmland in the valleys time to prepare for the winter...

Watch this video for a beautiful look at one group of cows' annual ascent from Leukerbad.

By the way, these same slopes around Leukerbad are where the Swiss Olympic team performs altitude training. Why Leukerbad? Because this is also the spot that has the greatest supply of thermal water in all of Europe! With nearly 4 million litres of hot water flowing daily from 65 thermal springs, Leukerbad has the greatest thermal spring reserves in all of Europe. So, its 30 thermal spas are the perfect place for athletes to relax after a hard day's training...

Happy Swiss National Day August 1 as well...