Is there a connection between cross country skiing and cheese? Is there a reason why the American Birkebeiner, the largest ski event in the US, is hosted in America's Dairyland? Land of the Cheeseheads?

The international ski community seems to think so... Switzerland's Le Gruyére AOP is a long-time FIS World Cup sponsor and host of Le Gruyére challenge. Have you noticed World Cup racers at the podium celebrating with a big ol' wedge of cheese next to them?

Lucky for us skiers, agricultural land where cows graze in the summer often makes for great ski trails in winter, plus there are usually dairies and cheesemakers close by! In the United States, I think about skiing through rural areas where cheddar is produced in Wisconsin and Vermont... In Europe, it's Comté in France’s Jura Mountains, Toséla in Italy’s Trentino Province, and more.

Today, we wanted to share a sampling of cheeses you can taste on Lumi Experiences cross-country ski vacations across Europe…

If you’d like to ski & sample cheeses with us next winter, sign up by 4/15 to save $300 per person. Reach out to info@lumiexperiences.com to see the itinerary for your favorite trip and secure your spot!

If you prefer small-batch:

Seefeld & Seiser Alm
Austria & Italy: OUR MOST POPULAR SELF-GUIDED TRIP, NOW A GROUP TRIP
January 7 - 14, 2024

The chef at our favorite trailside restaurant in Seiser Alm, Italy is also an artisan cheesemaker. He's keeping alive a long-time family tradition: his family has owned the 10 hectares around the restaurant where his eight Simmentals graze in the summer — and you can ski in the winter — for 400 years! Sampling a variety of Franz’s small-batch cheeses is the perfect treat before setting out for a sunset ski on Europe’s largest high-elevation plateau.

See the trip — GUEST FAVORITE

If you prefer mild with charcuterie:

Dolomitenlauf & Marcialonga
Austria & Italy
January 19 - 29, 2024

In the mountain village of Obertilliach, home to the Dolomitenlauf Worldloppet, cross-country ski trails wind through open meadows with scenic huts used for drying hay in the summertime. After a quiet and peaceful ski through this winter wonderland – where dairy cows graze in July and August – a locally produced speck and cheese platter awaits you in a cozy, traditional Tyrolean Guesthouse at the top of a pass. Prost!

See the trip — SOLD OUT! Waitlist only.

If you prefer fresh curds:

Marcialonga & König Ludwig Lauf: TWO WORLDLOPPET EVENTS ON ONE TRIP
Germany, Italy & Austria
January 26 - February 5, 2024

The Marcialonga cross-country ski marathon takes you on a tour across the Trentino-Alto Adige region in northern Italy – the same area where Toséla cheese is produced. A special Italian treat, this fresh curd cheese is made with cow’s milk, and then typically sliced, browned in butter and served with polenta. Monica, the owner and chef at our favorite boutique hotel in the area likes to share Toséla and other locally produced cheeses with Lumi guests, especially after the Marcialonga. Buon appetito!

See the trip — FILLING FAST

If you prefer complex:

Transjurassienne
Jura Mountains, France
February 5 - 12, 2024

When you cross-country ski in Les Rousses, there is Comté everywhere. A semi-hard alpine cheese, Comté has been produced communally by farmers, cheesemakers, and affineurs (cheese agers) in the craggy Jura mountains for over 1,000 years. Its communal production contributes to its complex flavor, which Lumi guests get to taste in person when they visit a Comté cheese fortress and see how this special cheese is made and aged. Comté also features prominently at the Transju' Worldloppet: celebrations after a strong finish are atop… wheels of Comté, and instead of a medal the Transju’ winner takes home a Comté bell, a favorite symbol of the region.

See the trip — GUEST FAVORITE

If you prefer melted:

Seefeld & Engadin
Austria & Switzerland
March 4 - 11, 2024

Alpine cheeses like Gruyére have been produced in the Alps for a long, long time through a practice called transhumance, which brings dairy cows to graze high alpine pastures during the summer while taking advantage of valleys below for growing crops. The milk produced in summer is then preserved as cheese for winter calories. A Lumi guest favorite in the Engadin Valley — a winter wonderland surrounded by Swiss Alps — is fondue, made with Gruyére of course.

See the trip — SOLD OUT! Waitlist only.

If you prefer sweet:

Norwegian Birkebeiner
Oslo & Lillehammer, Norway
March 11 - 18, 2024

A classic at the Holmenkollen Ski Festival and at trail-side huts in Norway is sweet Norwegian Brunost with jam on heart-shaped waffles! It’s often called “brown cheese” because of its color, but it isn't actually cheese or even taste like cheese. It’s made by Norwegian cheese makers who combine whey (a byproduct of cheesemaking) with milk and cream. Boiling it down until the milk sugars turn into caramel gives it its characteristic brown color and sweet caramel taste. You have to try it – it’s a guest favorite!

See the trip — ALMOST FULL!

Next winter's trips are filling fast! We'd love to have you join for the skiing plus cheese sampling along the way.

Reach out to info@lumiexperiences.com by Saturday, April 15th to secure your spot, see the itinerary, and save $300 per person on any 2024 cross-country ski vacation.

If you’re curious to see more photos and highlights from this winter’s trips, check out the Lumi blog and Instagram pages.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Founder & Olympian
garrott@lumiexperiences.com