Early records indicate that Simmental cattle were the result of a cross between large German cattle and a smaller breed indigenous to Switzerland. The name Simmental is derived from the name of the area where the cattle were first bred-the Simme Valley which is situated in the Berner Oberland in Switzerland.ecords show that a few animals were exported to Italy as early as the 1400's. During the 19th century, Simmental were distributed through most of Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Russia, ultimately reaching South Africa in 1895.