Exceptional opening hours in June: the Maison du Fromage Abondance team welcomes you from Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Open every day from July 1, 2023 until September 30, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. (except Sunday mornings). Thank you for your understanding.
Here, time is no longer fragmented, it gently unravels its riches. Keep your eyes wide open, listen, smell, and breathe in the pastures that hold the aromas of hard work, the freshness of the valleys with the warm smell of milk straight from the udder, and the sweet aroma of rennet ripening.
Be attentive, everything is available to those who know how to receive, and here you will get the best: the taste of the world.
A cheese, isn’t only a story about taste!
Tasting cheese calls on all your senses, we look at it, smell it, touch it, eat it, and even more astonishing, we listen to it! At the tasting table, your senses will be awoken to appreciate all the subtleties of Abondance cheese!
At the end of your visit, we suggest you pop in and discover all the delightful products that our territory has to offer.
Discover our programme!
For more details about our visits and events, browse the tab “Calendar“.
The events programme is susceptible to changes – please contact us for information.
Observe, listen, touch, smell, and taste. All your senses will be awakened as you immerse yourself in the history of Abondance cheese and its territory. The milk, Alpine chalet, manufacturing stages, cheese maturing, the labels and other diverse Savoie cheeses, are all the themes to discover on the ground floor. On the first floor, be guided through the products available to buy, cook, and of course taste this delicious cheese!
Information is available in English, German and Dutch.
Our site is especially designed for children!
Throughout every stage of the visit, share moments with the family using the manipulative games, the sound tool “Four stories of cheese” and the “Petits & Cie” area. We also suggest the Abondance Valley hopscotch, the interactive treasure hunt on tablet or smartphone “Wanted: 8 Cheeses Escaped”, and even a reduced price.
Through an illustrated story, explore the daily life of Juliette, a young farmer from Abondance. A self-guided experience, which, thanks to a wheelbarrow containing all the necessary equipment, immerses you in the life of the farm.
Activity for families with very young children.
Want to go further and learn even more? Have fun with the family at home with the enjoyable activities for young and old, concocted by the site’s team:
Coloring books – Memory – Sudoku images – The Burglar’s Game Book – Paper Pots – Picture Crosswords – 3D Cow – Special festive game books: Christmas, Easter
Learn the history behind this valley’s most famous product. From the Alpine pastures to its manufacture, between tradition and modernity, discover how it’s made, their expertise and passion that makes this quality cheese so special. To round off the visit you will titilate your senses by tasting this delicious cheese!
An accessible visit for everyone!
La Maison du Fromage Abondance now has a booklet that is easy to read and understand.
Prepare your visit in advance using this booklet. Bring it with you the day you come to help you understand the site, and afterwards, keep it as a souvenir!
1 ticket = 2 sites at a reduced rate! Take advantage of a discount rate and visit La Maison du Fromage Abondance and Abondance Abbey. Discover all sides of the local heritage from history to traditions.
Cycle 2 and 3
With a mediator the children will go on a journey to discover the Abondance Valley through different themes: the valley’s geography, the breed of cow and how Abondance cheese is made, the milk and other quality Savoie cheeses. Also, how to savour and cook this succulent cheese that the children will be able to taste at the end of the visit. Each child will receive an informative booklet.
Length: 2h
Group size: group of 15 to 35 pupils
Farm Discovery Game
Cycle 1
When his father is absent, Bastien must look after the farm. With him, the children will discover how a farming family lives through the changing seasons. They take part in different activities to help him in his tasks, with the aim of repairing the farm’s roof.
Length: 2h
Group size: 15 pupils maximum
Workshop to learn all about the cow
Cycle 1
Our region is full of cows, and they provide the precious milk necessary for making many different products that children are familiar with. But who are these cows? After looking at their appearance and taking their family (or herd) photo, let’s look at their specific characteristics and what they eat.
Length: 1h30
Group size: 15 to 35 pupils
Sensory workshop around the cheeses of Savoie
Cycle 1, 2 et 3
Abondance cheese has many enthusiasts, but would you be able to recognise if you tasted it with your eyes closed? After a presentation about the nutritional benefits of milk, the different types of cheese, and manufacturing stages, the children will discover Savoie cheese whilst focusing on their 5 senses and sharing their impressions. A sensorial approach including a tasting session.
Length: 2h
Group size: 15 to 35 pupils
A workshop on how to make cheese
Cycle 1, 2 et 3
From milking to the table, what are the secrets of transforming milk into cheese? In this workshop the children will become apprentice cheesemakers and will go home with their own cheese to eat! Make a little Tomme, discover the breeds of cows, the benefits of milk, Savoie cheeses and of course the manufacturing stages of our cheeses!
Length: 2h
Group size: 12 to 24 pupils
Workshop on how to make cheese
Cycle 2
Heaven! How does an animal that grazes happily in the pastures produce such a large amount of milk? For this, several conditions are necessary, and we would like you to discover them before answering the second question: what magic is used to turn this warm fresh liquid into butter, yoghurt, and even better, into cheese?
Length: 1h30
Group size: 15 to 35 pupils
Workshop on the notion of intangible heritage
Cycle 3
We are always talking about heritage, but what is it exactly? Why should we protect it? This workshop provides an opportunity to tackle the different notions of heritage and in particular intangible heritage. Through various activities, children will hunt for a lost recipe, discover how heritage is part of their own identity, how to preserve it and pass it on.
Length: 2h
Group size: 15 to 35 pupils
Workshop all about milk
Cycle 3
In a carton, bottle, tube or in powder form, where does the milk we consume every day come from? What transformations will this precious liquid undergo in order to store it longer? So many questions that we will try to answer with an approach that is both fun and scientific.
Length: 2h
Group size: 15 to 35 pupils
Visit a traditional mountain hamlet
Cycle 2 et 3
On the heights of the village of Abondance, the pupils will set off to discover a hamlet whose traditional appearance is lovingly preserved and maintained by its inhabitants: their houses and chapel. Several themes are covered to help the pupils understand life in a mountain environment, including the geography, traditional habitat, construction materials, vernacular and intangible heritage. The visit rounds off with a cheese tasting.
This is an outdoor visit, wear appropriate clothing for the mountain climate whatever the season.
Length: 2h
Group size: 15 to 35 pupils
Guided Tour + A Workshop of your Choice
Cycle 2,3 / Secondary School
Discovery itinerary on both sites.
Cycle 2,3 / Secondary School
Find all the activities available in our catalogue.
Discover Abondance Cheese
Wander around at your own pace and discover the various exhibition spaces. Discover the ancestral expertise and learn all the specific characteristics of this A.O.P. product. Be rewarded at the end with a sensorial tasting.
Learn the history of Abondance cheese
From the cows grazing in the Alpine pastures, through the cheese manufacturing stages to the odours of delicious maturing cheese, you will be led by a mediator through a discovery that will awaken all your senses. This journey comes to a stop with a delicious cheese tasting.
Discover a traditional mountain hamlet
On the heights of the village of Abondance, explore a hamlet whose traditional appearance is lovingly preserved and maintained by its inhabitants: their houses and chapel. Several themes are tackled to help the pupils understand life in a mountain environment, including the geography, traditional habitat, construction materials, vernacular and intangible heritage. The visit rounds off with a cheese tasting.
This is an outdoor visit, wear appropriate clothing for the mountain climate whatever the season.
Immersion into the Savoyard Territory
After a presentation of the A.O.P. Savoie cheeses and their production zones, discover where to find our grape varieties in our territory. These elements will awaken your taste buds to appreciate all the nuances of our local products and try to find the perfect pairing between the wines and cheeses.
Excess alcohol is dangerous to your health, to be consumed in moderation.
Take a gourmet break!
Take your pick between the tastings: Abondance cheese tasting, or a meal!
Excess alcohol is dangerous to your health, to be consumed in moderation.
Discovery itinerary on both the sites (with tasting)
1 ticket = 2 sites at a reduced rate!
Self-guided visit: €9 per person
Guided tour: €12.50 per person
A tasting (white wine/apple juice and Abondance cheese) is provided at La Maison du Fromage Abondance in addition to the guided tour.
Find all the activities available in our catalogue.
Here you will find a variety of farm products directly from the region’s farmer-producers.
(Re-) Discover our region’s riches including 8 Savoie cheeses, but also cheeses made exclusively in the valley!
Accompany your choice of cheeses with jams, honey, Savoy wines, fruit juices, beers and various other local products on sale in the shop!
Also, there is a selection books paying testimony to the heritage, customs and life in the Abondance Valley, as well as many other souvenirs!
Treat yourself!
Big, little, horizontal, vertical, red, white, brown or grey, discover the special “Abondance” tins of biscuits or chocolates: There’s something for everyone!
Let yourself be tempted by the bottles of “Portes du Soleil” Génépi or “Abondance Abbey Beers”, drink in moderation of course!
Everyone loves a souvenir: there’s a whole range of products with the Abondance cheese symbol, developed by the Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Fromage Abondance (SIFA): Abondance cheese keyrings, Opinels, pens, ice boxes, aprons, sleeveless jackets, etc; and not forgetting the Berthoud bowl!
Plenty more items are just waiting for you!
Do you want bring “a little piece” of your holiday home with you?
At the end of your visit, discover our shop of local produce!
Savoie cheeses, jams, sweets, books, and souvenirs, somehting for everyone!
Impatient? Or just thinking ahead? Prepare your visit early and order in advance!
To do this, download the shop’s catalogue, decide what you want and fill in the order form !
Would you love to eat a raclette or a fondu but you don’t have the right equipment? Don’t panic! La Maison du fromage Abondance can lend raclette or fondu machines with any cheese purchased! You just need to leave a deposit cheque for €60.
Other recipes:
– Le Berthoud
– The Savoyarde Fondue
– Sucette croustillante à l’Abondance
– Risotto aux asperges vertes et fromage Abondance
– La Poêlée Montagnarde
– Petits flans à l’Abondance
– Mini pizzas aux artichauds,jambon cru et fromage Abondance
– Pan-Bagnat au fromage Abondance
– La tourte au fromage Abondance
Even more recipes using Savoie labelled cheese! These recipes are proposed by the Association des Fromages Traditionnels des Alpes Savoyardes (Association of Traditional Savoyard Alps Cheeses).
From December 16, 2022 to June 30, 2023
Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
From July 1 to September 30, 2023
Every day from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., except Sunday morning
From October 1 to November 4, 2023
Tuesday to Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Annual closure from November 5 to December 15, 2023.
Closed on December 25 and January 1.
The last entries take place 45min before the closing of the site.
ENTRY: €5.50 (reduced price*: €4.5)
DUO (2 sites) : €9
ADDITIONAL “commented tour”: €3 (6-18 yrs. old: €2.5)
FREE FOR UNDER 6-YEAR-OLDS
*Reduced price: students, job seekers, disabled persons, families (1 adult + 1 child).
Free admission upon presentation of the “Multipass”
Located at the heart of the Abondance Valley, La Maison du Fromage Abondance is:
– A 5 minutes walk from the twon centre, “Village Loop” itinerary
– 27km from Thonon-les-Bains and Evian-les-Bains on the D22
– 65km from Geneva Airport
The Colombus buses stop at the “Maison du Fromage Abondance” bus stop (during the school holidays).
Free parking: cars, buses and bikes.
There are electric-car charging points and welcome area at the “Flot Bleu” near the site.
La Maison du Fromage Abondance is entirely accessible.
There is a lift to go to the first floor.
Since sepember 2021, La Maison du Fromage Abondance is labelled S3A (Symbole d’Accueil, d’Accompagnement et d’Accessibilité = A Symbol of Hospitality, Support and Accessibility).
291, route de Sous le Pas 74360 ABONDANCE
Tel. : +33 (0)4 50 73 06 34
