Through the Töss Valley to Grünigen

Explore the Swiss cheese landscape with cheezy . Our Tour de Suisse cheese box leads through the canton of Zurich in October. During the hike, you can visit 3 cheese dairies that supply us with the finest cheese for the Tour de Suisse cheese box . Go on a hike and visit Wildberg Käse AG, Käserei Betsswil and Käserei Herschmettlen. A hiking report by Jürg Studer:

The Zurich Oberland is wild and rustic - ideal for hikers who are not afraid of ups and downs. The Tripelkäs tour probably takes two days.

Start of the hike: A visit to Wildberg Käse AG
Less than a thousand inhabitants and one cheese dairy! The start is in the hamlet of Wildberg on the Russikon to Turbenthal link. A start at a cheese dairy, as cheesemakers are early risers and their stores are often only open in the morning and possibly in the evening. Wildberg Käse AG has a cheese vending machine for the other times. With a Grotto hard cheese in your rucksack, it's time to start the "ten-hour day". The first 100 meters of altitude rise in a wide arc across the field and then through the forest almost to the highest point and then the downhill and uphill begins for the next 25 kilometers. The path is easy to follow, paved through hamlets and villages, but the forest roads are never paved.

The route leads through Schalchen, Hermatswil, Hasel, Niederdürstelen and Bliggenswil to Bauma, always on the left side of the valley. The first overnight stop here would be in one of the two hotels.

The hike continues towards the Bettswil cheese dairy
The views become excellent again as soon as you reach Bettswil along the museum railroad and a small feeder road to the Thur. Here, in the outlying hamlet of the political municipality of Bäretswil, Peter and Daniela Schneider and their team produce numerous specialties from the milk supplied by the eleven surrounding farms. Through modernization and innovation, the current second and third generations have turned the former Emmentaler and Tilsiter production operation into a wide range of organic products, including regional ones. If you can't get to the cheese dairy during its morning opening hours (and buy its delicious Burg Gryfenberg Barrique cheese yourself), you can stock up at numerous nearby stores or farm stores.

Last visit to the cheese dairy on the hike: Herschmettlen cheese dairy
Crossing the field, you reach the Stöckweiher pond in a few minutes - an oasis that invites you to take a short break or even a dip. After the ascent, you've made it! The trail leads over the watershed to the district capital of Hinwil, 200 meters below, and on to the southwest.

Once you have crossed the highway, you soon reach the Herschmettlen cheese dairy run by the Stefan and Stéphanie Bürki family. On the easily accessible thoroughfare, 1.6 million kilograms of milk a year are used to produce cheeses as diverse as Wildbachkäse, Zürcher Oberländer, Schnittlauchkäse, Hot Chili and many more. One of the specialties: the Zurich Grand Cru. It is stored for a long time and lovingly rubbed by hand with regional wine, which brings out its full flavor. The production site has the Fromarte QS, Suisse Garantie, Culinarium and ADR Zurich labels.

 For city dwellers, the wide fields, the sometimes more and sometimes less hilly landscape, the farms with their farm stores and the distant views are impressive. The nearby Bubikon with its knight's house, which hosts numerous events and provides the backdrop for festivals, would be worth a detour or would offer a train connection for the journey home. I decide on Grünigen for the end. The village has town status and its main street is described as picturesque in every description - today it should rather be called "smartphonic". And there is a public transport connection here for the journey home.

The most important facts in brief
37.69 km, 10:02 h, 1,014 m up and 1,173 m down. A longer tour in stages with some difference in altitude, leading through forests and open fields.

START YOUR CHEESE ADVENTURE

Simple, convenient and always surprising. Swiss cheese enjoyment at home.