9 Swiss cheese factories you should not miss

The attentive viewer of a menu featuring Swiss cuisine quickly realizes that a particular ingredient runs like a red thread through our culinary landscape.

Of course, we’re talking about Swiss cheese.

There’s some disagreement about how many varieties of cheese exist in Switzerland. Some sources say there are 450 types, while others claim it’s over 700. Let’s just agree that there’s a significant abundance of Swiss cheese. Theoretically, you could make a New Year’s resolution on January 1st to try a different cheese every day, and by New Year’s Eve, you still wouldn’t have tasted the whole range.

All this cheese has to be made somewhere. Luckily, there are some farm dairies that can guide you through the process and give you a glimpse into their production facilities.

In this article, we’ll present you nine Swiss farm dairies located across the country that open their doors to visitors.

Emmental show dairy

Ask a child to draw you a piece of cheese and the result will most likely be a piece of Emmentaler. This cheese with holes is the reason why most people think that Swiss cheese always comes with holes.

Emmental cheese comes in various degrees of strength. Starting with the mild AOP Classic and ending with the recent AOP Cave-Aged.

What is the Emmentaler Show Dairy?

At the Emmentaler Show Dairy, there's something for everyone. You can try making fresh cheese yourself or discover everything about this traditional cheese brand along the royal path. The show dairy’s restaurant offers a wide range of classic and creative dishes, with cheese naturally playing a starring role.

Where is the Emmentaler Show Dairy located?

The name already gives it away. This cheese originated in the Emmental in the canton of Bern, where you’ll also find the show dairy. Affoltern im Emmental is easy to reach by car or public transport.

La Maison du Gruyère

Gruyère is a classic among Swiss hard cheeses and is often included in fondue blends. It has been produced for over 900 years and is a must on any traditional cheese platter.

What is La Maison du Gruyère?

At the Gruyère Empire's show dairy, you can experience everything about this delicious cheese with all your senses and learn how it's made. The tour starts with an interactive museum that explains all aspects of Gruyère.

Among other things, you’ll hear cowbells and mooing cows, smell the scent of alpine flowers and hay, feel a cowhide or a cheese brush, and taste various types of Gruyère cheese. You’ll also get a direct view into the cheese production process and the massive storage hall where thousands of cheese wheels mature.

At the entrance, you’ll be given an audio guide that explains everything in detail throughout the tour. Afterwards, you can browse the shop for treats — whether it’s a souvenir stuffed cow, a pack of fondue, a cheese knife, or other regional dairy products.

La Maison du Gruyère also has a restaurant that satisfies almost every culinary wish.

Where is La Maison du Gruyère located?

As the name suggests, this cheese originates in the French-speaking part of Switzerland — the Gruyères region in the canton of Fribourg. The show dairy is located just behind the train station. The easiest way to reach Gruyères by train is from Fribourg via Bulle.

If you’re driving, La Maison du Gruyère is very accessible as it’s close to the A12 motorway between Bern and the Lake Geneva.

Appenzeller Show Dairy

The recipe for this cheese is strictly secret. This is emphasized repeatedly on every billboard and in countless videos, often in very creative ways, as you can see in these funny clips.

• Mount Shush More
• Fondue Paraglider
• Football

One thing that isn’t a secret though is that Appenzeller, being a rather strong cheese, isn’t for the faint-hearted. Although the range covers all levels from mild to extra, there really isn’t a truly “mild” Appenzeller. So get ready for a bold, spicy cheese that quickly announces itself by its strong smell when you lift the cheese dome.

What is the Appenzeller Show Dairy?

Everything at the Appenzeller Show Dairy revolves around "Switzerland's spiciest secret". The display area shares all the information that isn't secret.

You’ll learn many fascinating facts about the traditions of the Appenzell region, get a glimpse into the cheese cellar where up to 12,500 wheels are stored, watch the experts at work, and even get the chance to create your own herb blend.

If you’re looking for inspiration for your next hike in the area, the virtual 360-degree lookout with binoculars into the Alpstein mountains is just the thing. The restaurant, furnished in traditional Appenzell style, offers a wide selection of typical cheese dishes, and in the shop you can take home a fondue mix or a piece of your favorite Appenzeller.

Where is the Appenzeller Show Dairy located?

The Show Dairy is in Stein, in the canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden. The easiest way to get there by public transport is via St. Gallen, then by PostBus to Stein. By car, you can reach it either through St. Gallen, or directly from the motorway via Gossau and Herisau to Stein.

Les Martel Cheese Dairy

This small demonstration cheese dairy is located in the heart of the Neuchâtel Jura in western Switzerland. In addition to Gruyère cheese, they also produce other types like the blue-veined cheese "Bleuchâtel." Here you have the perfect chance to watch the step-by-step process of making one of Switzerland's most famous cheeses. Naturally, you can also taste the finished cheese at the end.

What is the Les Martel Cheese Dairy?

This small cheese dairy produces cheese daily from 8:00 to 10:00. During a visit, you'll learn everything about the production of the well-known Gruyère AOP and other cheese varieties. The exhibition provides explanations that introduce you to the craft of cheese making.

There is a playground for children. Additionally, an onsite restaurant and shop are available.

The cheese dairy is open Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 12:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00. On Sundays, it's open from 8:00 to 11:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00.

Where is Les Martel Cheese Dairy located?

The cheese dairy is in Les Ponts-de-Martel. From Neuchâtel, you can reach the dairy in about 45 minutes using public transport.

The House of Tête de Moine

The vast majority of cheeses can be enjoyed quite straightforwardly, without having to think about how to prepare them. Just cut a piece and eat it. But then there are some that require special equipment. These include the classics fondue and raclette, as well as Tête de Moine.

This curious cheese, whose name translates as "monk's head", is mounted on a wooden stand and scraped in a circular motion with a knife. The result is the flavourful cheese rosettes that are a must on any cheese platter.

What is the House of Tête de Moine?

The House of Tête de Moine is a mix of museum, cheese dairy, grocery store, and café. In this large stone building, you're instantly transported back centuries and can easily imagine how this traditional cheese was made here in the past. The museum is located opposite the abbey where this famous cheese was first produced over 800 years ago.

Where is the House of Tête de Moine?

The House of Tête de Moine is not the easiest to get to. It's located in Bellelay, a small village in the Bernese Jura with only a few postbus connections. The best way to visit the museum is combined with a hike, for example from Saignelégier, Moutier or Tavannes. By car, the quickest route is via the A16 through Biel to Tavannes or Moutier.

Gotthard Show Dairy

The cheese produced at Casaeificio del Gottardo in Airolo isn't as famous as Appenzeller, Emmentaler, or Gruyère. But that doesn't mean much. The Tessin Alps produce a variety of cheeses, from soft to semi-hard to hard types — including raclette and fondue blends.

What is the Gotthard Show Dairy?

Thanks to its large glass windows, visitors to the Gotthard Show Dairy can watch every step of the cheese-making process live — from milk delivery to finished product. The best time to visit is between 8:00 and 12:00 when the daily milk deliveries are processed.

This show dairy is one of the first of its kind in the region. It’s combined with a restaurant and a shop that sells much more than just cheese. You’ll also find plenty of cream, milk, butter, yogurt, and ice cream here.

Where is the Gotthard Show Dairy located?

The Gotthard Show Dairy, called “Casaeificio del Gottardo” in Italian, is in the Ticino village of Airolo. You can reach Airolo by public transport from the Ticino cities Bellinzona, Lugano, and Locarno or from the north via the Central Switzerland region with the regional train.

The Gotthard Panorama Express also passes here before traveling through the old Gotthard tunnel towards Göschenen. You can find a detailed description of this panoramic trip and how to add a stopover in our article about Switzerland’s panoramic trains.

If you’re driving, you come through the Gotthard tunnel from the north or via the A2 motorway through Bellinzona from the south.

Marbach Experience Dairy

The Entlebuch region not only boasts a UNESCO-certified biosphere but also its very own cheese dairy. In Marbach, all sorts of cow milk cheeses as well as cheese made from buffalo milk are produced.

What is the Marbach Experience Dairy?

In the attractively designed visitor gallery at the Marbach Experience Dairy, you’ll discover how milk is transformed into cheese, where Switzerland's first buffalo mozzarella comes from, and much more. You also get an insight into cheese production and can sample various delicious treats along the way.

Besides the visitor gallery, the Experience Dairy also has a shop offering a variety of dairy products from cows and buffaloes. Guided tours with a light aperitif can be booked if you want to learn more about the farm. If you’d like to combine your visit with a two-hour adventure trail, there’s an opportunity to do so during the summer months. This trail winds through the beautiful Entlebuch landscape and is especially great for families.

Where is the Marbach Experience Dairy located?

The Experience Dairy is in Marbach, a village right in the heart of Entlebuch. You can reach it by train from Lucerne or Bern in under an hour using public transport. By car, several routes lead to Marbach via Thun, Bern or Lucerne.

Alp Show Dairy Morteratsch

What would an article about cheesemaking in Switzerland be without mentioning this important branch of production? In summer, the milk from grazing cows in the Alps is used to produce large quantities of cheese, which is then sold either on site or down in the valley.

The Morteratsch dairy’s range includes, among others, Heutaler mountain cheese, Glacier Mutschli, and fresh whey cheese.

What is the Alp Show Dairy Morteratsch?

The traditional show cheesemaking in Morteratsch takes place only during the alpine season from June to October. During this time, you can watch daily from 9:30 to 11:00 and from 13:30 to 15:00 as the cheesemaker works his craft without any machinery.

The restaurant offers refreshments all day, whether you want the popular and reservation-only alpine brunch, an alpine lunch, or a small snack in between. If you want to treat your skin to a special kind of care, the show dairy also offers whey baths including Prosecco and aperitif.

Where is the Alp Show Dairy Morteratsch located?

This one’s a bit tricky. The Alp Show Dairy Morteratsch isn’t just around the corner and getting there takes a bit longer, depending on your starting point. Of course, this is always calculated with Swiss conditions.

You can reach the dairy within 30 minutes from St. Moritz via Pontresina by train. It lies on the route of the Bernina Express, another popular Swiss panorama train. So the trip to the dairy can be perfectly combined with a journey to the Bernina Pass or even all the way to Tirano in Italy.

The show dairy is located right next to the Bernina Pass road, making it easily accessible by car, bike, or motorcycle.

National Dairy Museum

If you're curious about the history of cheese but don't want to get hands-on with it, the National Dairy Museum might be a great alternative for you. This small museum showcases many fascinating exhibits on the history of cheesemaking.

There's an old cheese kitchen displaying production methods from 200 years ago, a video about how Emmental cheese was created and made, plus various artifacts and photos illustrating the early days of commercial cheesemaking. Did you know, for example, that cheese was traditionally only made on alpine pastures during summer?

Where is the National Dairy Museum located?

The museum is situated in Kiesen, in the canton of Bern, not far from Thun. You can reach it by train or car via Bern or Thun.

Cheese in the Swiss Alps

As already mentioned, cheese is diligently produced in the Alps during the summer and almost all of them sell their products directly from production. If this is the case, there is usually a sign on the side of the trail advertising the products. Normally, the operators of the alp sell fresh milk, goat or cow cheese and sometimes wood oven bread.

There is hardly a better opportunity to get a glimpse of mountain life and exchange ideas with the locals. And if you get lost or have questions about the hiking area, you will usually be gladly helped here.

If you don't have time to visit the alpine pastures, or if the weather throws a wrench in your hiking plans, you still don't have to miss out on the delicious alpine cheese. Swiss alpine cheese is sold in almost all grocery stores - from small village stores to large supermarkets

While the experience isn't the same as buying cheese straight from the cheese cellar and walking past the milk-giving cows, it's still a worthy alternative.

More information about Swiss cheese

Before the cheese journey comes to an end, we have some last helpful tips and information about the spicy Swiss trademark for you.

The Swiss Cheese Passport

With the Swiss Cheese Passport, you'll enjoy various benefits and discounts at the first five show dairies in this article. These include, for example, price reductions of 10% on cheese purchases at all locations, discounts on admission prices of up to 30%, and many other discounts

In addition, there is a contest for those who submit a stamp on the entry card from each participating show dairy. The passport including the competition card is available at all participating show dairies or can be downloaded online from the Swiss Cheese website

The Cheese Finder

Aside from the cheese passport, there's tons of additional material on the Swiss Cheese website. Starting with information on production and stopping at a variety of recipe suggestions. My favorite on the site is the Cheese Finder, which gives you a remarkable overview of the extensive range of Swiss cheeses.

Whether you're looking for inspiration for your cheese board, want to discover new cheeses, or can't remember the name of your favorite cheese, the Cheese Finder with its handy filter will help. A more comprehensive cheese encyclopedia will be hard to find.

The Swiss Cheese Subscription

This offer currently only exists for people living in Switzerland or Liechtenstein. But it is too ingenious not to mention it here.

On Cheezy's website, you have the option of having a carefully crafted cheese box delivered to you every month. You have a choice of eight different boxes in different strength and price ranges, so you can keep trying new varieties that you might not otherwise buy.

The subscription has no minimum term and can be interrupted or cancelled at any time. If you just want to give it a try, there is also a single box that doesn't tie you to a monthly recurrence