A look in the vat: Switzerland’s show dairies

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From milk to cheese to mouth: this journey is at its shortest in a show dairy. If you want to get a real idea of the celebrated art of cheesemaking, you have come to the right place.

And there is plenty more to experience besides cheesemaking: you can often enjoy an entertaining programme of events in wonderful surroundings. Some show dairies even let visitors make their own cheese and take their creations home with them. Typical events like card games and concerts also take place regularly in some show dairies. Culinary highlights in the on-site restaurants, activities for children and shops selling plenty of regional products can also be found. The show dairies offer special tours and activities for groups, making a visit well worth it for associations or work trips too. Meeting rooms can also be hired in some of the show dairies – get your training weekend off to the best possible start!

Experience 8 cheeses: the best show dairies in Switzerland

Cheese fans are sure to get their money's worth: here we present the best show dairies in Switzerland.

Emmentaler Show Dairy

Emmentaler Show Dairy in Affoltern in Emmental (BE): the production process for Emmental through different eras is brought to life here with a tour from four generations of the creamery owners – you also get the chance to make your own cheese.

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Appenzeller® Show Dairy

Appenzeller® Show Dairy in Stein (AR): a multimedia cheese experience all about Appenzeller®. Highlight: creating your own herb mixture that you can take home with you.

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La Maison du Gruyère

La Maison du Gruyère in Pringy-Gruyères (FR): an interactive tour through the world of Le Gruyère AOP – here the focus is on emotive impressions for all five senses.

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Fromagerie Les Martel

Fromagerie Les Martel in Les-Ponts-de-Martel (NE): a small show dairy in the heart of Jura in Neuenburg. Like Le Gruyère AOP, this dairy produces delicious creations, such as the Bleuchâtel (blue cheese).

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Milchmanufaktur Einsiedeln

Modern show dairy that lets visitors watch the cheese production and affinage process from a viewing platform and the restaurant windows at no charge. With exciting group offers and a Regio-Shop.

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Maison de la Tête de Moine

Maison de la Tête de Moine, Bellelay (BE): take an in-depth look at the history of Tête de Moine AOP. Visitors can look forward to a museum with an iPad tour, a historical dairy, a cheese cellar and a tasting session featuring different regional specialities.

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National Dairy Museum

National Dairy Museum in Kiesen (BE): this small museum features plenty of exhibits detailing the history of cheesemaking. A historical cheese kitchen shows the production conditions from 200 years ago, whilst exhibitions on topics like butter and melted cheese pique the interest.

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Cheeses from Switzerland Passport

The passport is the joint brochure of the following four show dairies: Appenzeller® Show Dairy in Stein (AR), Emmentaler Show Dairy in Affoltern in Emmental (BE), La Maison du Gruyère in Pringy (FR) and the Milk Manufactory in Einsiedeln (SZ).

In this passport, you will find information about cheeses from Switzerland, a brief portrait of the four show dairies and information about the Grand Tour of Switzerland, the road trip organised by Switzerland Tourism.

Visit all four cheese dairies, have your personalised Cheeses from Switzerland Passport stamped (within 2 years) and receive a gift worth a total of CHF 75 when you visit the fourth cheese dairy.

Your gift for the visits to the four show dairies consists of a Grand Tour Snack Box worth CHF 25, a Swiss cheese tool from Victorinox worth CHF 42 and a piece of the best Swiss cheese worth CHF 8.

Order the original Cheeses from Switzerland Passport here