In La Clusaz, cheese isn’t a memory, it’s a living culture. The village sits at the heart of reblochon country, the AOP cheese born in the Aravis pastures. To explore it is to understand how the mountains, the herds and the people shaped the landscape as much as the plate. Between farms, dairies and a museum, it’s one of the finest ways to discover the resort’s soul.
The story of reblochon
Reblochon was born of a farmers’ trick: long ago, they “reblocheaient” (milked) the cows a second time in secret, and this rich milk made a creamy cheese. Now AOP, it’s made on the Aravis farms from raw milk and aged in cellars. The Hameau des Alpes, at La Clusaz, retraces this story and that of mountain life, with a section devoted to the making.
What you can do
- Visit a farm: watch the milking and the making of reblochon, meet the producers and taste on the spot.
- The Hameau des Alpes: the site that tells the story of reblochon, skiing and Aravis life, ideal for families.
- Taste and buy: at the farm, the dairy or the village market, farmhouse reblochon is tasted by the slice, and lives on in tartiflette or croziflette.
Booking
Farm visits, tastings and entry to the Hameau des Alpes are booked directly with the producers, the site and the La Clusaz tourist office. Milking and making times are fixed: ask ahead so you don’t miss them.
Good to know
When? All year, but summer lets you see the herds on the pastures. The milking times (often early morning and late afternoon) set the rhythm of farm visits.
With the family. The Hameau des Alpes and the farm visits are a big hit with children.
Farmhouse or dairy reblochon? Farmhouse is made on the farm, from the raw milk of a single herd (green label); dairy in a creamery. Taste both to compare.
To take home. Reblochon travels well over a few days; ask the producer for advice on keeping it.
See also in La Clusaz
Walk to the pastures with a hike, or gain height on the pistes with skiing in winter. Back to the destination: La Clusaz.