Sheep take over German streets en route to winter pastures
Berlin, Nov 16: Pedestrians in Nuremberg, Germany, stepped aside on Sunday as hundreds of bleating sheep were herded through the city center on their annual journey to winter pastures.
Shepherd Thomas Gackstatter guided roughly 600 animals through the streets, providing a rare and charming spectacle for locals and tourists alike.
Curious onlookers, many of them capturing the event on their cellphones, lined the route as the flock passed through the central market square, the Hauptmarkt, drawing attention in a city of about 540,000 residents.
The journey covers over 10 kilometers from the summer grazing areas in and around the city to the flocks’ winter quarters located west of Nuremberg.
During the summer months, Gackstatter’s sheep, along with other herds, graze on meadows within the city, helping maintain the grass while promoting biodiversity.
The slow, natural grazing of the animals provides insect-friendly care for the urban greenery and reduces the need for mechanical mowing, saving city authorities money and energy.
Nuremberg is believed to be the only German city where sheep cross the central square as part of this seasonal migration, though similar grazing practices exist in other cities, including Berlin, Potsdam, Augsburg, and Ulm.
City authorities took precautions ahead of the passage, asking residents to keep the streets clear, keep dogs away, and avoid flying drones over the flock.
For shepherds like Gackstatter, these arrangements are increasingly important as open grazing spaces have become scarce.
The annual migration through Nuremberg not only provides practical benefits for the city and the environment but has also become a beloved cultural tradition, highlighting the unique relationship between urban life and agricultural practices in modern Germany. (AP)
