Meet Daniela, the Farmer Behind Our Farm Tour

Meet Daniela: The Alpine Cheesemaker Who Gets Up Before the Mountain Does

High above the lakes of Interlaken, tucked into a valley the tourist maps skip, Daniela and her family begin their day before sunrise.

By the time most visitors to the Bernese Oberland open their eyes, she has already lit the fire beneath the copper cauldron, the Chäschessi, and the first batch of alpine cheese is already taking shape.

This is Sigriswiler Bärgli. And this is where our Farm Tour takes you.

A valley with a 300-year tradition

The Justistal isn't on most tourist maps. Stretched 7.5 kilometres between the Sigriswilergrat and the Güggisgrat ridges, the valley sits above Sigriswil in the Bernese Oberland, reached by a narrow mountain road over Beatenberg.

If you want to see how the valley settles its accounts each autumn, our guide to the Chästeilet cheese lottery in Justistal covers the September ceremony and what a visitor can expect on the day.

Fun fact: Since 1739, the Justistal's summer cheese has been shared out at the Chästeilet according to how much milk each cow produced.

Farming families have worked this valley since long before Switzerland became Switzerland. Since 1739, they gather every September for the Chästeilet: an ancient ceremony where the summer's cheese is distributed among farmers according to how much milk each cow produced. No lawyers. No contracts. Just tradition, trust, and 300 years of keeping one's word.

348 wheels of cheese. One summer.

Daniela and her family produce around 348 wheels of cheese between May and 15 September. Each wheel is made by hand, the way the family has always made it: milk goes into the copper cauldron, heat is applied, the curd is cut and stirred, and the result is pressed into the form where it becomes the round, golden wheels you'll see lining the cellar shelves.

Insider tip: After the visit, you can buy cheese directly on the farm at CHF 20/kg. Bring cash: it is cash only.

When you arrive for our Farm Tour, you'll often catch the process mid-stream. The cheese is made in front of you around 10am. What you witness is the real work of a real morning.

To see where this cheese-making moment fits into the visit, our Interlaken farm tour itinerary lays out the whole morning, from the 8am departure to the return at noon.

The Chucheli breakfast

When you arrive, her family sets the table in the Chucheli, a warm, timber-beamed gathering room, for an alpine breakfast that follows the same logic as everything else on the farm: local, seasonal, made here.

Pierre says: "This isn't a tourist breakfast. It's what the farmers eat."

Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures

Fresh cheese. Butter that came from the grass outside the window. Bread baked the same morning. Coffee that actually warms you up at 1,370 metres.

This isn't a tourist breakfast. It's what the farmers eat.

About Daniela and her family

Daniela and her family have been working Sigriswiler Bärgli for years. They are one of nine operations sharing the valley each summer, which together hold 250 cow rights; Daniela keeps 21 cows on her own farm. She knows every animal by name. She knows the grass by month. And she knows, better than anyone, that the best cheese comes from patience, not shortcuts.

Pierre says: "Watch first, ask later. When the cheese is on the fire, keep your eyes on the cauldron. Once we sit down in the Chucheli, ask her anything and I translate."

Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures

She'll tell you this herself, in Swiss German, with a smile.

You might not understand every word. But you'll understand exactly what she means.

Pierre asked a farmer: "What is the hardest part of a summer on the alp?"

"The hours. Up at five, cheese every single day, and no break until the season ends in September."

Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures

In September, when the first frost reaches the ridge above Sigriswil, the cows come down and the valley empties. Daniela and her family pack up the copper cauldron, lock the Chucheli, and join the other farms at the Spycherberg for the Chästeilet. Each family takes home the wheels they earned. Then they wait for May, when the grass comes back.

Your Questions About the Farm Tour

Is the farm experience suitable for children?

Yes. Children are welcome and they usually love it: meeting the animals, watching the cheese being made, and eating a real alpine breakfast. There is no hike, because we park at the farm, so even young children can come.

Our parent's guide to the farm tour goes into more detail for families travelling with young children, so you can decide before you book.

What is included in the CHF 149 price?

The price covers everything: transport from Interlaken, the guided farm visit with Daniela and her family, watching Daniela's real cheese batch up close, and a full alpine breakfast with products made on the farm.

Can I buy cheese to take home?

Yes. Daniela sells her wheels directly at the alp. Ask her on the day, as availability depends on the season and production.

What if the weather is bad?

We monitor the forecast 24 hours in advance and contact you with alternatives if conditions are unsafe. Mountain weather changes fast, so we always have a plan B.

How to visit with us

The Sigriswiler Bärgli Farm Tour departs from Interlaken at 8:00am. We drive about 35 minutes over Beatenberg and park at the farm, rain or shine.

We arrive around 8:45am and are back in Interlaken around noon.

Groups are maximum 8 people. Always.

Book your Farm Experience

After the visit, cheese is available for purchase directly on the farm. CHF 20/kg. Cash only.

Season: May to 15 September
Access: by van directly to the farm, no walking
Language: Swiss German (your SLA guide translates)
Bring: Warm layers, closed shoes, appetite, cash for cheese
Rubber boots available on site for wet days
Group size: Maximum 8 | Price: CHF 149/person

Also read:
→ Alpine Farm Tour Near Interlaken, Switzerland
→Meet the Alpine Farmer Who Makes 348 Wheels a Summer

*Written by Pierre Vetsch, founder and head guide at Swiss Local Adventures

Source:

On-site visit and interview with Daniela, Sigriswiler Bärgli, Justistal, 2026.