Emmental
The Emmental is the rolling farm valley east of Bern that gave the world Emmental cheese — the large-holed "Swiss cheese" familiar internationally, though the name in Switzerland refers specifically to the wheel-shaped cheese made in this region under strict tradition. The landscape itself is classic pastoral Switzerland: green hills dotted with oversized farmhouses under sweeping thatched-style roofs, rather than dramatic alpine scenery.
Most visitors treat it as a half- or full-day trip out from Bern centered on the Emmentaler Schaukäserei show dairy, where you can watch cheese being made using traditional methods and taste different ages of the cheese, then spend the rest of the time driving or cycling through the countryside and its covered wooden bridges.
Emmental FAQs
Not strictly — the Emmentaler Schaukäserei is reachable by train, but exploring the wider valley and its covered bridges is easier with a car.
Watch cheese being made through viewing windows, learn about the aging process, and taste different ages of Emmental cheese, plus a shop to buy some.
It can be done as a half-day if you focus on the show dairy, or a full day if you also drive through the countryside and villages.
It's gentler, rolling farmland rather than dramatic peaks — worth it for classic pastoral Swiss scenery rather than mountain drama.
Yes, the Schaukäserei's shop sells a range of ages and cuts, and it's a common souvenir stop.
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