The “Ranz des Vaches” from the Gruyère region is a famous traditional Swiss melody associated with the canton of Fribourg and the Gruyère region in particular. This pastoral music, which is deeply rooted in Swiss culture, is directly linked to the tradition of bringing cows up and down the mountain pastures - the moment when shepherds (armaillis) lead their herds to the mountain pastures in the spring and bring them back down to the valley in the fall.

The term “Ranz des Vaches” comes from the Fribourg patois (a local dialect) and literally means “cow song” or “cow call”. Traditionally, this song was sung by the Armaillis to guide the cows to the pastures. Each region or even each valley had its own version of the song, but the best-known version comes from the Gruyère region.