Austria’s KäseStrasse: the hike that’s a cheese-lover’s dream

Despite the name, Bregenzerwald’s KäseStrasse (Cheese Street) in Austria’s Vorarlberg region is not a marked route along a specific road. Instead it denotes an association of cheese-related industries – around 200 partners in all – that are united in cultivating, maintaining and promoting the highest standards of regional cheese production.

Visitors can gain insights about cheese and other regional food production via operations that range from dairies, farms and private cheese makers to butchers, bakers and museums. And by far the best way to explore the area is by hiking.

Vorarlberg, Austria by Andreas Theis via Flickr ()

Bregenzerwald is a splendid rural landscape in itself, dotted with lush Alpine meadows, picturesque farms and traditional wooden-shingled farmhouses. The “route” spans an area of around 100km, with each venue marked by the distinctive KäseStrasse logo.

As you explore, you’re likely to come across everything from the Alpine Dairy Farming Museum in Hittisau, where you can see a 300-year-old dairy kitchen and learn about cheese-making and milk processing (guided tours available), to romantic mountain inns (hütte). There are also some surprisingly modern spots, such as the Käsekeller Lingenau, demonstrating how cheese is matured, and KäseMolke Metzler, which produces natural remedies and cosmetics from whey.

Cheese, cheese, cheese by  via Flickr () 

Then, of course, there are the fantastic restaurants (gasthöfe), where you can sample dishes like the delicious macaroni cheeseesque concoction Käseknopfel. To be registered in the association, each restaurant has to have at least five different cheese dishes on its menu, and use a minimum of five Bregenzerwald cheeses.

In terms of when to visit, the summer is of course best for warm weather. But the region’s KäseHerbst season (the “fifth season”), from mid-September to the end of October, is a popular time to host traditional festivals.

Culture vultures may also be delighted to learn that the region hosts two excellent annual music events: an Opera Festival in Bregenz, and the Schubertiade, which takes place in the charming village of Schwarzenberg.

For tours of the Farming Museum in Hittisau, contact . The Bregenz Opera Festival () takes place in July/Aug (dates vary each year), while Schwarzenberg’s two-part Schubertiad (schubertiade.at) runs just before and afterwards, usually in June and Sept. Discover more unforgettable places around the world with the new edition of Make the Most of Your Time on Earth.