Cheeses of Allgäu
Bavaria's green dairy country at the foot of the Alps, with mountain cheese, Emmentaler, Weisslacker and autumn cattle drives.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: June to September; Viehscheid in mid-September.
The Allgäu is the dairy heartland of southern Germany, a landscape of meadows, lakes and Alpine foothills stretching from Lake Constance to the border with Tyrol. Kempten is its main city. Brown Allgäu cows graze summer pastures in the mountains, and village dairies make Allgäuer Emmentaler and Bergkäse, as well as softer cheeses introduced in the nineteenth century, such as Romadur, Limburger and Weisslacker.
The cheeses
In the nineteenth century, Carl Hirnbein and others brought Limburger and Romadur making to the Allgäu, and dairies learned Swiss methods for Emmentaler. Bergkäse, mountain cheese, is made from raw summer milk and aged for months. Weisslacker, a pungent, salty, white-rinded cheese, was first made in Wertach. Käsespätzle, egg noodles with melted cheese and onions, is the region's comfort food.
Pastures and cattle drives
In September, herders bring cattle down from the summer pastures in the Viehscheid, with the lead cows crowned with flowers and bells, and villages hold fairs to welcome them. The Allgäu Alps are crossed by trails to alpine huts selling cheese. Neuschwanstein castle lies at the eastern edge of the region.
A trail idea for Allgäu
- Kempten The Allgäu's main city, with a Roman park and old town.
- A Sennerei Visit a village dairy making Bergkäse and Emmentaler.
- A Viehscheid Watch cattle come down from the alps in September.
- Nebelhorn Take the cable car above Oberstdorf to the high pastures.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Allgäu" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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