No, we’re not talking about corny photo ops or overrated tourist stops – we’re talking cheese, the beloved dairy treat. Cities around the world are known for their takes on cheese, but we’ve narrowed it down to five great destinations that will have you saying cheese in no time.
Wisconsin, United States
As the largest cheese producer in America for more than a century, Wisconsin (and its die-hard cheeseheads…that’s right, Green Bay Packers fans aren’t just nicknamed after cheese – they don cheese headgear, too) is one of America’s top spots for cheese. In fact, Wisconsin doesn’t just produce more than 600 varieties of the stuff: The state even offers a Master Cheesemaker program, the only program of its kind in the U.S. Combine that with more than 1,500 cheese factories that produce a yearly output of 2.6 billion pounds of cheese, and you have one seriously cheesy destination.
Normandy, France
Nothing goes better with cheese than wine, and you can have the best of both worlds in Normandy, France. Normandy is home to the village of Camembert, best known for its soft white cheese of the same name. Camembert’s creamy cousins, Neufchâtel and Pont-l’Évêque, are also produced in Normandy. And if you’re looking for a cheese that packs a punch, Normandy’s Livarot is both one of the country’s oldest and stinkiest cheeses.
Cheddar, England
If you consider yourself a fan of cheddar cheese, your ultimate dairy pilgrimage must be a trip to Cheddar, England. That’s right, the ever-popular cheddar cheese comes from a village of the same name. The sole cheesemaker left in this English village is the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company, which fittingly produces award-winning cheddars, some of which are even aged in nearby caves. Visitors can watch the cheesemakers do their thing during a tour of the factory.
Netherlands
Why settle for shopping for cheese at a local grocery store when you could see how the locals once did it at the Netherlands’ cheese markets? The Dutch have traditional outdoor markets dedicated solely to this dairy product, and in the summer season, you’ll find farmers donning straw hats in a myriad of colors and hauling their wheels of cheese into the marketplace to much fanfare. During the traditional cheese market reenactment, the wheels are weighed and prices negotiated using a traditional hand clap system (that is, clapping and shouting).
Parma, Italy
Parma, Italy is home to the so-called “King of All Cheeses,” parmigiano-reggiano. The region takes its cheese seriously — the Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese Consortium will even take you on a free two-hour guided tour of Parma’s dairies. Not enough cheese for you? Just outside Parma, you’ll find your every cheesy wish fulfilled at The Museum of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
(Main image: anneh632 used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license)
