Emmental Cheese Route: E-Biking Adventure in Switzerland

E-biking the Emmental Cheese Route is a unique way to see a different part of Switzerland near Bern that’s off the beaten path from most travel itineraries. The Emmental Cheese Route is a picturesque ride through the rolling hills of the Emmental Valley, featuring a stop at a dairy farm in Affoltern to sample some freshly made Emmental Swiss Cheese.

The Emmental Cheese Route is a self-guided e-biking tour of the Emmental Region. The route starts in Burgdorf, Switzerland, and includes multiple places to stop along the way, including a dairy farm where you can learn all about how Emmental cheese is made.

In this article, we’ll give you all the details about how to embark on your own Emmental Cheese Route biking trip!

E-Biking the Emmental Cheese Route

Emmental Cheese Route app

The Emmental Cheese Route even has an app you can download on your phone to make your bike ride a breeze! The app provides everything you need to follow the route, including maps, detailed instructions, and a narrated tour guide pointing out all the stops.

Adventure Tip | Don’t forget to pack headphones so you can follow along with the Emmental Cheese Route audio guide as you bike.  

Renting e-bikes in Burgdorf

You can rent e-bikes from Velostation Burgdorf, located right behind the train station in Burgdorf. There is no need to reserve bikes ahead of time.

A one-day e-bike rental costs 58 CHF ($65) per person.

Emmental Cheese Route | FAQs

How long is the Emmental Cheese Route?

There are route options that can be completed in either a one or two day trip:

• 1 day | 35km loop
• 2 day | 78km loop

We did the 35km route and it took us around 3.5 hours in total, including a 30-minute stop at the cheese dairy (not including travel to and from Burgdorf).

You may also find additional details about the Emmental Cheese Routes here.

What is E-Biking?

E-biking is a popular way to explore larger sections of Switzerland. While it’s possible to bike the Emmental Cheese route covered in this article, we opted for e-bikes to allow us to cover more ground in a shorter period of time.

An e-bike is a motorized bike that allows you to adjust the amount of power you use, so you can pedal like you’re on a normal bike or let the bike do most of the work. This is extremely helpful to give you a boost up the rolling hills in this region.

The Emmental Cheese route has multiple charging stations that you can use to recharge the e-bikes. If you are doing the day trip, you should be able to make it the entire ride without recharging.

Do I need an E-bike?

No, this route can also certainly be done with a traditional bike. However, the ride will be significantly more strenuous. You should plan on the trip taking significantly longer than with an e-bike.

Where is the Emmental Valley?

The Emmental Valley is a region in the canton of Bern characterized by lush rolling green hills, cows grazing on vast farmland, and quintessential Swiss farmhouses decorated with colorful flowers.

The region is named after the Emme River and is known as the birthplace of Emmental Cheese, aka “Swiss Cheese.” While the Emmental Valley is often overlooked by tourists, we think it’s worth a visit.

The tranquil beauty of the Emmental Valley’s rolling hills made it one of our favorite stops on our 1-week Switzerland trip!

What is Emmental Cheese?

Emmental Cheese is a fancy way of referring to what most people know as simply “Swiss Cheese!” However, the cheese here is the real deal: miles better than the Sargento, mass-produced slices we’re used to in the States.

As you can imagine, the cheese gets its name from the Emmentaler region in which it is produced. Emmental cheese has a mild, buttery, and delicious taste. You can purchase the cheese in a gradient of firmness. The harder cheese has a stronger, sharper flavor and softer cheese has a milder flavor.

If you love cheese, you don’t want to miss the Emmental Cheese Route!

Emmental Cheese Route | Biking Guide

Getting to Burgdorf from Bern

The Emmental Cheese Route begins in the city of Burgdorf, located 25km from Bern. We recommend staying in Bern for this excursion. Burgdorf is only a quick 15-minute train ride away.

The bike ride will take anywhere from 3 to 6 hours, depending on your fitness level and how long you spend at the stops along the way. You’ll want to get an early start!

Starting the ride

Once you’ve got your bikes, start the Emmenal Cheese Route App and follow along. The route starts out through the streets of Burgdorf. As you leave the city, turn left from Metzgergasse onto Wynigenstrasse at the wooden bridge.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the bridge. We biked right past the turn and then got a little turned around. Once you reach Emme Bridge, turn left. From here the route is a loop that is relatively easy to follow.

You will bike past classic Swiss farmhouses, lush green rolling hills, grazing cows, and sprawling dairy farms.

Affolten Show Dairy Farms

Our favorite stop along the ride was the Show Dairy in Affolten. Here you can walk to 4 different dairies and stop in several cheese shops and bakeries.

At Emmentaler Schaukäserei, the largest of the buildings in the square, you can even watch cheese being made. We recommend taking a break here and grabbing a slice (or two…) of fresh cheese from the cafe on the bottom floor.

We packed turkey sandwiches for lunch and spruced them up by adding a fresh slice of cheese. Sit outside and enjoy the beauty of the surrounding farmland while you eat.

Tip | You can order cheese freshly sliced off the block at the shop below the dairy factory here. The shop has a wide array of different types of cheese and offers free samples, so be sure to try a couple different types to find the one you like best!

The return ride

After exploring the dairy farms, return to the Emmental Cheese Route and continue for a few miles, passing by another dairy farm in Schaufelbuhl. From here the rolling hills of the Emmental Valley only get more and more beautiful.

Towards the end of the ride, you’ll bike by Burgdorf castle on your left. Then return back through Burgdorf and end where you started at the Burgdorf train station.

Other Switzerland resources

Planning a trip to Switzerland? Check out these great resources for more inspiration!

If you are looking for something active to do in a lovely part of Switzerland that is off the beaten track, e-biking the Emmental Cheese Route is certainly the adventure for you! Please feel free to reach out with any questions – we loved this ride and are happy to help!