On the trail of milk and cheese - new nature trail in Kleinarl

Cows are purple and milk grows in cartons in the refrigerator cabinet? No, not quite. Good, you knew that? But do you also know how many litres of water a cow drinks per day? What the difference is between dairy and meat breeds? Or why milk curdles during the cheese-making process? No? That's why there is now a new educational trail in Kleinarl. Here you can learn a lot of interesting facts about the cows in the region, about milk and about cheese production during a short hike.

You start directly in Kleinarl and hike along the educational trail "On the trail of milk and cheese" to the Hirschleitenhof. There you will find the dairy workshop of Bio aus dem Tal (Bio from the Valley). So, you also have a worthwhile destination in mind, at the Hirschleitenhof you can taste the delicious food directly, as there’s a self-service fridge is waiting for you there. The farm shop is also open on Friday afternoon. But on this hike, the children forget that they have already hiked quite a distance, as thanks to all the new impressions, they hardly notice that they are walking.

7 stations, 7 cows

Along the nature trail you will pass seven stations. You’ll find a cow at each one. Alma, Lieselotte, Rosa, Hildegard, Glück, Flecki and COOLinda are waiting for you. They will show you their home and tell you why they like living here so much and what they do all day. When you get up close to the cows, scan a QR code and you’ll find a website with lots of in-depth knowledge on the respective topic. An interesting quiz gives you the chance to consolidate your new knowledge. Up at the Hirschleitenhof you are the critical testers. You decide whether you can taste the difference between freshly produced and industrially produced cheese. And above all, which cheese you like better.

The topics along the way are:

  • "Milk" animals in our region
  • Dairy farming in the past and now
  • The right mix in a dairy cow's feed requirements
  • The sustainability of regional dairy farming
  • The quality of water for good milk
  • How butter and cheese are made

In addition to the knowledge about cows, milk and cheese, a story by Lara, Maxi, Lea and Tommy accompanies you from station to station.

Young explorers and nature-lovers will definitely want to visit Wagraini’s Grafenberg afterwards. The KUHbidu adventure trail was opened in summer 2020. The two nature trails complement each other perfectly. There, children learn the answers to questions about cows and cheese production in a playful way. If you manage to solve all the tasks in the riddle, you'll get a little surprise at the valley station of the Grafenberg cable car.Have you always wanted to know how cheese is made and what a cow eats? Then head to Kleinarl for "On the trail of milk and cheese" and to Wagrain for "KUHbidu" trail.

More information about the new nature trail of milk and cheese in Kleinarl you can find here.
Photo credits: Nicole Nell