The party’s just starting Jul 26, 2019

The party’s just starting

To usher in the summer music festival season, we take you to a pastoral hillside in the Swiss Alps for the International Alphorn Festival held each summer near the town of Nendaz. Musicians are gathering here this weekend to celebrate and blow these enormous traditional horns of the Alps. No one really knows the origin of the alphorn. We do know that for centuries, European mountain folks from the Alps and east to the Carpathian Mountains used this horn to signal to each other across great distances and to call in animal herds. Even though the horn has no valves or keyholes, it’s not easy to play and requires great lung power.

© Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jul 26, 2018Exploring the wilder side of New York
Jul 26, 2020A path to access
Jul 26, 2021The dancing trees of Sumba Island
Jul 26, 2022Mangrove Conservation Day
Jul 26, 2023International Day of Mangrove Conservation
Jul 26, 2024Summer Olympics begin in Paris
Jul 26, 2025International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 27, 2021Design for Each and All
Mar 3, 2019Fin whales: A success story
Sep 12, 2023North Sea at sunset, Norddorf, Germany
Oct 17, 2024Frost-covered dunes on Mars
Mar 15, 2021Every day is Napping Day for this screech owl
May 2, 2019Making it work—in Norway
Dec 18, 2021Full moon
Apr 9, 2019The glowing waters of the Matsu Islands
Jun 8, 2020A day for the oceans
May 27, 2023Quiver trees in Namibia
Dec 16, 2018Holidays in the Venetian Lagoon
Apr 21, 2024National Park Week continues
Jul 13, 2024International Rock Day
May 30, 2020Meandering through Patagonia
Jul 13, 2018The puffin-rabbit connection
Aug 23, 2024Prasat Phanom Rung temple ruins, Thailand
May 28, 2024The Monastery of Roussanou, Greece
Jun 7, 2019Holey moley–it’s National Doughnut Day!
Dec 21, 2018Paper lanterns on the longest night
Oct 29, 2023Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia
Apr 11, 2023Mossy Grotto Falls, Oregon
May 14, 2018Celebrating Bike to Work Week, May 14-18
Jan 13, 2019On the hunt
Mar 18, 2021A sizzling summit hides in the clouds
Jun 8, 2019Diving into World Oceans Day
Oct 19, 2020A cliff-hanging complex of temples
Dec 29, 2021Mountain goats
Jun 29, 2019It s National Camera Day. Get the picture?
Mar 12, 2022The Girl Scouts celebrate 110 years
Apr 18, 2019Stop and see the flowers