Wengen Cheese Festival

It was a beautiful weather day for the Chästeilet Wengen, (the Wengen Cheese Festival).

"The Chästeilett was held for the first time in 1999. Back then, it featured a few beer tables, a small drinks tent, and a grill on the Eigerhubel."

"The festival was such a success that the following year the Chästeilet was held on the ice rink, its current location."

"What started as a crazy idea for a chef's get-together has evolved into the second-largest event in Wengen, after the Lauberhorn Ski Races."

The core idea of the Chästeilet is to give local Alpine farmers a chance to sell their cheese.

"The Grill is still there, but the offerings have been expanded to include rösti, roast veal, and other delicacies from Wengen's hotel and restaurant industry. There is also a bar and and ice cream cart.

Our favorite is the pumpkin soup.

You can become a cow shareholder.  

This year the surprise was a cutting board.

There was folklore and entertainment throughout the day.

Michael and I arrived early to the festival. As we were standing by the entrance a woman approached us. She said she recognized me from my website. She also stated my description and pictures of the festival was the reason she was attending. Then she proceeded to show me the webpage. Now that is very cool! Who would have thought? She definitely made my day!!!

I asked if I could take her picture and put it on today's entry. She is from California.

The opening of the festival.

Trychler Club Wengen (Bell Ringer's Club)

He is an Englishman who moved to Wengen eight years ago. He decided to join the Trychler Club to fit into the community. Now, he speaks Swiss German, too. His wife just joined the club. He hopes to persuade his children to join some day.

The very knowledgeable mistress of ceremony. She spoke Swiss German and English.

Jodlerklub Schneeglöggli Kallnach

"From the history of the Schneeglöggli Kallnach yodeling club

Under the motto: "Where singing is heard, settle down joyfully, for bad people have no songs," men who enjoyed singing and camaraderie came together in 1926 to form the singers' double quartet.

The actual founding of the yodeling club "Schneeglöggli" Kallnach took place in 1932."

"At the general meeting on March 1, 1932, 12 active and voluntary members came together to give the association the necessary statutes."

"Reber Fritz led the club as its first president, and Müller Walter was in charge of the vocal direction. The purchase of "Chüjermutze" (traditional hats) was also decided upon, but each member paid for them themselves."

"On March 27, 1934, the club decided to join the Swiss Federal Yodeling Association. This allowed the yodeling club to participate in both cantonal and federal yodeling festivals."

"Participation in the 650th anniversary of the Swiss Confederation in 1941 was a highlight for the club, as it was a difficult time during the war years and holding an annual concert was not always possible. For this reason, the first participation in a Cantonal Yodeling Day on June 17,1945 in Schwarzenburg was certainly a special event."

"The first participation in a Swiss Yodeling Festival took place on July 18-20, 1958.

On June 13-14, 1959, the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Swiss Yodeling Association took place."

"In 1974, a music committee was established, consisting of a conductor, a yodeler, and the president. A diligence prize was also introduced. In 1981, the Yodeling Festival took place in Kallnach. The parade consisted of 38 subjects, and it was even possible for all the floats to be pulled by horses. The participants, as well as the spectators and animals, suffered greatly from the intense heat at that time."

"At the Western Swiss Yodeling Festival in Murten on June 28, 1986, the club received a first for the competition song "uf em Heiwäg."

"At the 1994 Annual General Meeting, Paul Schenk, after 20 years as club president, handed over the "Yodeling Ship" to other hands. He had a profound influence on the club and was always the driving force behind its development."

The conductor of the group is very happy that younger people are still carrying on the tradition of yodeling.

Trachtentanzgruppe Wengen

Description of their traditional dress

Alphorn

"With the passing of time, the alphorn almost totally disappeared as an instrument used by Swiss shepherds. It was only with the romanticism of the 19th century and the revival of folklore and tourism that the alphorn experienced a renaissance and even became a national symbol."

"The alphorn has long been a tool used by shepherds. It was used to call the cows from the pastures and into the barn at milking time. An engraving from 1754 shows a shepherd using the alphorn to motivate the cows to cover the last steep stretch on their big climb up into the Alps. A glass painting from the Emmental Valley dating back to 1595 shows the alphorn being blown, probably to pacify the cows during milking. The blowing of the alphorn in the evening is also a traditional theme in art. This sound served as an evening prayer, and was mainly practiced in the Reformed cantons, while in the German-speaking Catholic cantons in Central Switzerland, the call to prayer was preferred. The main function of the alphorn was, however, for communication with the herdsmen on the neighboring Alps and with the people down in the valley below."

Musikgesellschaft Wengen. Wengen Community Band

Steinstossen (translated to 'stone throwing' in English) is the Swiss variant of stone put, of throwing a heavy stone overhead using both arms for the longest distance. Practiced among the alpine population since prehistoric times, it is recorded to have taken place in Basel in the 13th century.

All-time record is a stone weighing 83.5 kg (184 lb) for 4.16 meters (13 ft 8 in) by Urs Hutmacher.

The top throwers in the mens, womens, and children category get a prize.

There were two different cheese demonstrations.

Large crowd enjoyed the beautiful weather.