The Cheese Cellar

A joint milestone set by dairies and marketers.

Shareholders of the 2002 founded KäseKeller foundation decided to rise a storage and maturing center for alpine and mountain cheese with a capacity of up to 50.800 loafs of cheese. The building was risen at the entrance point of the village Lingenau in central Bregenzerwald.

This project successfully connected all the interests of producers, marketers and regional
institutions as well as the interests of the KäseStrasse Bregenzerwald and thus new market opportunities and a quality standarts for silage-free milk products were created.

The Bregenzerwald Cheese Cellar is the largest
joint milestone in the history of the Bregenzerwald dairy industry.

Architecture

With architect DI Oskar Leo Kaufmann we choose one of the most prominent representatives of the recent generation of the Europe-wide recognized Vorarlberg architectural scene for the new building.

Its monolithic structure of exposed concrete blends into the landscape in a self-assured manner. Particular attention was paid to the presentation and visitors’ room in the ground floor foyer with a view into one of the three maturing cellars.

Here the fully automated care of the cheeses can be observed: a robot drives along the 100-meter-long cheese racks, lifts each cheese loaf one at a time from the spruce boards, brushes it with saltwater and places it back in its original place.

The Vorarlberg artist Edgar Leissing created a series of large format color photographs for the foyer, which shows the cultural and social environment of cheese and milk production in the Bregenzerwald in a poetic way.

Tradition and future, craftsmanship and technology, art and nature, landscape and culinary delights are combined in the cheese cellar to create an unique experience for all visitors.

Shopping at the Cheese Cellar

At the foyer of the Käsekeller you will find a shop with regional delicacies – with an impressive view into the cellar.

From our choice:

  • Mountain cheese with different degrees of ripeness from different dairies
  • Sliced cheese assortment of the KäseStrasse Bregenzerwald
  • Sausages from the region
  • Whey care products from Ingo Metzler
  • Gift articles and much more.
 

Facts

Completion: July 2003

Extension: March 2022

Cellar length: 118 metres

Storage capacity: 50,800 loaves

Cellar temperature: 12 to 16 °C / humidity 96 %.

Robot capacity: 120 – 140 cheese loaves can be brushed in and cared for with brine per hour and per robot. 7 care robots are in operation 22 hours per day.

Robot names: Markus (Markus Wallner), Oki (Oskar Leo Kaufmann), Sausi (Herbert Sausgruber), Ecke (robot for angular cheeses), Erich (Erich Schwärzler), Annette (Annette Sohler), Ulrich (Ulrich Gärtner) and Johannes (storage and retrieval robot).

Take a Look Inside the Cheese Cellar

Learn more about the history and origin of the Bregenzerwälder KäseStrasse.
In a film and an expert presentation, we will explain how everything started and what makes it so special.
Take a look through the glass wall of the Cheese Cellar – the largest storage and maturing center for mountain and alpine cheese in Europe.

Then taste our cheese specialties and let the visit end comfortably. It is possible to buy cheeses and regional products of our members in the shop.
We are happy to inform you about other excursion and sightseeing opportunities along the Bregenzerwälder KäseStrasse.


“Cheese enjoyment” Cheese plate with five sorts of cheese, a slice of bread and a glass of wine or juice
€ 6,90 / Person

“Gourmet cheese plate” Cheese plate with six types of cheese, a slice of bread and a glass of wine or juice
€ 7,90 / Person

“Farmer’s plate” with four sorts of cheese, two regional types of meat, two slices of bread, butter and a glass of wine or juice
€ 11,20 / Person

Prices for the presentation for the offers A, B and C

Groups of 2-10 persons: € 85,00

Groups of 11-20 persons: € 3,00 / person

Groups from 21 persons: € 2,50 / person

Tasting with a cheese sommelier

Offers A and B can also be booked with a cheese sommelier on request.
Immerse yourself in the world of cheese history with our expert and enjoy the “white gold” with the appropriate Wäldar Win (wine). Price on request!

Tour guide and bus driver for groups of 15 people or more free of charge.

Bus parking available!

Duration:
About 1 ½ hours

Events:
Please make an appointment at the office of the KäseStrasse Bregenzerwald

Opening Hours and Contact

Requests for visits:
KäseStrasse Bregenzerwald GmbH
Zeihenbühl 423 | 6951 Lingenau
Tel. Büro: +43 (0)5513 42870-41
Tel. Foyer/Geschäft: +43 (0)5513 42870-43
Fax: +43 (0)5513 42870-40
E-Mail: info@kaesestrasse.at
Homepage: www.kaesestrasse.at

Opening hours of the office:
Monday – Thursday from 8:00 am to 12:00 am
and 13:00 to 17:00
Friday from 8:00 am to 12:00 am

Summer opening hours (1.4.- 31.10.)
Monday – Friday 10.00-18:00
Saturday 9:00 – 17:00
 
Winter opening hours (1.11.-31.3.)
Tuesday – Friday 10:00-17:00
Saturday 10:00-16:00
 
 


Bregenzerwälder Käsekeller
GmbH
Zeihenbühl 423 | 6951 Lingenau
Tel.: +43 (0)5513 42870
Fax: +43 (0)5513 42870-13
E-Mail: gf@kaesekeller.at