St. Gallen cheese from Toggenburg

Explore the Swiss cheese landscape with cheezy . Our Tour de Suisse cheese box leads through St. Gallen in July. A hiking report by Jürg Studer:

It's not the mustard-less bratwurst that draws me as a Zurich native to the St. Gallen region, but cheese discoveries. On a circular tour from Lütisburg via Gonzenbach, Ganterschwil, Berg, Bütschwil and back, there are several trouvailles to taste.

From the Lütisburg SBB station, the trail starts at
along the road to Altgonzenbach until hikers quickly reach the Thur. Its wide riverbed, half of which is accessible, is a recreational area for the local population. An old wooden bridge takes you to the other bank and past the Catholic and then Protestant churches, which serve the 1,800 inhabitants of Lütisburg and the surrounding area. Once at the top, the path leads into the ravine again, this time to the right tributary of the Thur, the Necker.

Towards the Berghof cheese dairy run by cheesemaker Melchior Schoch
The path leads steadily upwards in the sun. In the next village, Ganterschwil, there are also two churches to choose from. Birds of prey circle above the open fields after the village, where numerous farmers are grazing. Occasionally they are attacked by crows, but the birds of prey can turn around in a flash and stretch their talons towards the swooping crows. The height is only reached on the Laubberg, and it is only a few hundred meters to the mountain restaurant with the cheese dairy. From the garden terrace, you can see the highest mountain in Schwyz, the Bös Fulen at 2801 m, and the view now sweeps over the Glarus mountains, the lower Toggenburg and as far as Germany. Not only is the view superb, but the cheese dishes from the Berghof's own cheese dairy and the rustic guest rooms are also excellent. Wife Vreni Schoch-Meier recommends the organic Hopp-Schwiz-Chäs for the cheese salad or, as one of the specialties, the Alpenblumenkäse, which is dedicated to the yodeling club, from the 40 varieties on offer. Together with her husband Melch Schoch, she runs the mountain restaurant and cheese dairy. Events such as the Chäserzmorge, the 1 August brunch or the Raclette-Stobete are a real treat in the truest sense of the word.

Visit to the Neuwies cheese dairy with an exciting cheese story

Fortunately, after so many delicacies, it's now almost all downhill. The path leads steeply across meadows at the beginning and then through the forest to Bruedertöbeli, where there is a small chapel at the exit. Thanks to motion detectors, anyone entering the half-open chapel is greeted with music.

Through one of the few sections of forest, you reach the Thur plain and on the other side, the path now climbs through Bütschwil for around a hundred meters. The second cheese dairy, that of Neuwies, comes into view. It is surrounded by lush pastureland, the basis for healthy cows and therefore high-quality cheese; in the neighboring farm, chickens run around in free-range enclosures. The actual shop is located around 5 minutes further on, directly after the railroad line. Regional specialties from the farm's own cheese dairy are on offer here, mainly semi-hard and semi-hard cheeses. There really is something to suit every taste - from creamy and mild, to herbal aromas, tannic and woody and nutty, all the way through to tangy and hearty. The Entlebuch couple Philipp and Sandra Müller and their team are passionate about their work and their offspring are also involved as cheese whisperers, cheese testers and summiteers.

The "Urgestein" has a funny origin story: briefly distracted by an important phone call at the office, Philipp Müller forgot to switch off the mixer. As a result, it stirred and stirred continuously until the master cheesemaker noticed the unusual noises, which were not meant to be. He quickly came running into the cheese dairy, but the mishap had already happened - the cheese had a special marbling ... This mistake resulted in a completely new cheese creation, which is now deliberately produced in this way. Fortunately, anyone stocking up on the many delicacies only has to walk 600 m to the Lütisburg train station.

The most important facts in brief
13.83 km, 3:49 h, 438 m up and 438 m down. A scenic circular tour in the lower Toggenburg with rewarding stops.

Click here to go to our Tour de Suisse cheese box, which can be purchased either as a single box or as part of a cheese subscription. Also suitable as a gift for cheese lovers:

Our cheese sommeliers Christa and Patrick present the Tour de Suisse Box to you here:

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