Countless fresh cheese wheels lie on ten wooden shelves. You can see seven rows - so there are about 70 cheeses in this picture. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Hanna Büker / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Cheese storage

The dairyman cuts the cheese mass with his harp. The cheese vat is in an old wooden kitchen. The cheese mould is already visible on the table behind it. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 unbekannt / Le Chalet, Chateau-d'Oex

Cutting the cheese mass

 Loading

Cheese, glorious cheese!

From milk to cheese

The journey of milk to cheese begins with cows in green meadows and ends in the mysterious cellars of dairies or farmers. Immerse yourself in the world of cheese and be enchanted by the stories behind every bite, passed down from generation to generation. Learn how cheese enriches the lives of our valley inhabitants and hopefully also the lives of the guests.

An oversized wooden fondue caquelon with a view of the mountain panorama invites you to eat. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Fondue Caquelon XXL amidst mountain scenery

Oversized fondue caquelon to sit on stands on a lawn. In the background you can see a wooden barn and the Wispile mountain. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Fondue at the Cheese Grotto

An oversized fondue caquelon to sit on stands on an elevation. A fantastic mountain panorama is visible and a hot air balloon floats in the blue sky. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Fondue at Grosser Vorschess

Top view of a table with black fondue caquelon and a loaf of bread. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

fondueland – fondue pot

Three women sitting at a giant wooden fondue caquelon, toasting each other amid a beautiful mountain landscape. Their bikes are propped up next to them. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 André Meier / Bergbahnen Destination Gstaad AG, Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Giant fondue caquelon

A small mountain lake in the foreground, with a giant fondue caquelon and a panoramic mountain backdrop beyond. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Melanie Uhkoetter / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Delicious food in the great outdoors.

Small wooden chalet from the inside with table and benches. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

The Fonduehüttli in Schönried.

Large wooden fondue caquelon on a hill in front of a mountain backdrop. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Liv Staub / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus, Müller Medien

Fondue enjoyment in a large fondue caquelon.

 Loading

Fondueland Gstaad

Enjoying a delicious fondue with friends or family in the middle of the nature? This is made possible thanks the «Fondueland Gstaad». It is the perfect mix between a gentle topography and varied speciality cheeses for sophisticated bons vivants. Two huts and seven inordinately large fondue pots provide enough space for up to 8 people and they are situated on an unparalleled backdrop with a stunning panoramic view.

More

Alpine Cheese Dairy Tours

Alp breakfast, cheese production, whey baths or mountain food – the diversity of culinary experiences to be had on the mountains in the holiday region Gstaad is huge.

The two cheesemakers stand in front of the cheese vat, still holding the full cheesecloth over the vat. They are waiting for the whey to run out. ©  (c) Mattias Nutt Photography / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Taking out the cheese

A large, half-full cheese vat is still hanging in the foreground. In the background, the dairymaid is pressing the cheese mass in the cloth into a cheese mould. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Cheese presses

On a traditional wooden table with grooves for the whey to drain off, there are many small containers with fresh cheese in them. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Small fresh cheese

You can see a hand with a Hobelkäse standing over a cheese slicer. Below it are many sliced cheese rolls on a plate. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Hobelkäse

The dairymaid pulls a cloth through the cheese vat to lift the cheese mass out of the whey. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Taking out cheese

A large cheese vat is full of cheese. The mixture is stirred with a wooden shovel. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 unbekannt / Le Chalet, Chateau-d'Oex

Stirring cheese

 Loading

Accommodation on the mountain

No matter whether you stay on a farm or in the Alps – the authenticity of the holiday region Gstaad will transform your holiday into an unforgettable experience. It is proud of its tradition and lives and breathes it every day. Gstaad has 340 farms, more than 80 of which still use Alpine pastures and around 11 000 cows in the region.

book
On the left is an alpine hut with geraniums on the railing. On the right is a beautifully laid table with red/white tablecloth. On the far right of the picture, water gurgles from a wooden fountain. The view shows three rows of mountains in hazy light ©  (c) Melanie Uhkoetter / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus, Gstaad Palace

Eating and sleeping with a great view

Old alpine hut in the evening light. There are many bells hanging from the façade and cheesecloths on the clothesline. Pointed mountain peaks can be seen in the background. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Ruedi Hählen / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Old alpine hut in the evening light

Two beds are in a cosy wooden parlour. Both beds are covered with red/white covers. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Sleeping on the alp

 Loading

Rustic alpine huts

These traditional mountain restaurants offer a special type of hospitality. They radiate a charm all of their own with their unique Alpine location and often home-made delicacies. The many choices available range from simple offerings such as bread and cheese to gourmet steak and chips.

On a terrace near an alpine hut, many sunshades are stretched out. Underneath, many guests are sitting at tables and eating or drinking. In the background you can see two mountain peaks. ©  CC BY-NC-ND Markus Gyger / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Alp restaurant on the mountain

Large alpine hut from the front with many bells on the façade. Four red and white parasols adorn the terrace of the rustic alpine hut and a Swiss flag flies in the wind on the left. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Rustic alpine hut like in a pictures book

Plate and bowl holding meat, cheese, bread, fruit and tomatoes, with a white cup and the hands and arms of three people sitting at the table in the foreground. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Enjoy regional specialities in a rustic alpine hut

 Loading
Many, round cheese wheels lie in a high room on six superimposed racks. The room is lit by candlelight from a candlestick. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Cheese grotto with candles

Oversized fondue caquelon for three people to sit on stands on a lawn. In the background you can see a wooden barn and the Wispile mountain. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Fondue at Cheesegrotte

Oversized fondue caquelon to sit on stands on a lawn. In the background you can see a wooden barn and the Wispile mountain. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Fondue at the Cheese Grotto

A group enters the cheese grotto in Gstaad ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Kerstin Sonnekalb / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Entrance to the cheese grotto

 Loading

Cheese Grotto

A monument to cheese! The dairy Gstaad have taken over 3 000 cheeses – including historical rarities – and beautifully displayed them in impressive ways. Learn all sorts of interesting facts about the Bernese Hobelkäse AOP and its origins in this former water reservoir 25 metres underground.

More

Cheese ageing facility

A place where the gold of the Gstaad Alps is kept and treasured. Local expert Alpine farmers take you on guided tours with tasting or a relaxed aperitif. Knowledgeable local Alpine farmers offer guided tours with tasting of exquisite Bernese Alpine cheese and Hobelkäse, or a relaxed aperitif in a homely atmosphere.

more
book
From a narrow aisle you can see countless cheese wheels stacked in rows to the right and left and towards the front and top

Cheese wellness area

©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 unbekannt / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus
A cow looks out of the window of the stable. Four bells hang above it. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 unbekannt / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Cow looking out of the stable

Three people are with three calves, stroking them. The calves are brown and white spotted. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Mattias Nutt Photography / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

With the calves

Two children help a farmer with putting up the fence. The parents are standing a little further back in the picture with forks. It is sunny and they are standing on a green meadow. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Working with the farmer

 Loading

Stable Tours

Enjoy the fragrance of country air in the barn, watch the farmer milking a cow or caressing a calf. «The Stable Visit Project» of the «Good, there are Swiss farmers» campaign offers all of this.The Open Barn Doors programme contributes to the promotion of local products. And it also builds bridges between town and countryside. The «Visit a Barn» campaign is about raising awareness of Swiss foodstuffs and their production.

More

Cheese production in the show dairy

At «Le Chalet» in Château-d`Oex, the hard «le Chalet Bio» cheese is prepared over a wood fire in the traditional way. Wearing traditional costume, a cheesemaker produces a whole 16-20 kg cheese from 160 to 200 litres of organic milk.

More
The dairyman cuts the cheese mass with his harp. The cheese vat is in an old wooden kitchen. The cheese mould is already visible on the table behind it. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 unbekannt / Le Chalet, Chateau-d'Oex

Cutting the cheese mass

A large cheese vat is full of cheese. The mixture is stirred with a wooden shovel. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 unbekannt / Le Chalet, Chateau-d'Oex

Stirring cheese

Two cheesemakers take the half-finished cheese out of the large brass vat with a cloth. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 unbekannt / Le Chalet, Chateau-d'Oex

Cheesemaking over an open fire

 Loading
Bell-shaped papercut artwork by Regina Martin. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Regina Martin

Bell-shaped papercut artwork by Regina Martin

Old alpine hut in the evening light. There are many bells hanging from the façade and cheesecloths on the clothesline. Pointed mountain peaks can be seen in the background. ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Ruedi Hählen / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Old alpine hut in the evening light

Smooth Arnensee in autumn with view of Staldenfluh and mirror of the mountains in the lake ©  CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 Yannick Romagnoli / Gstaad Saanenland Tourismus

Arnensee reflects Staldenfluh

 Loading

Language Lesson Vocabulix

To learn the most important regional terms before arrival, Vocabulix and Gstaad Saanenland Tourism invented a language lesson with typical topics of the holiday region Gstaad. The lesson is available in English, German, Spanish, French and Italian.

More