Chästeilet 2026 - the Justistal cheese sharing

On Friday 18 September 2026, the Justistal above Lake Thun holds its Chästeilet, the roughly 300-year-old ceremony that shares out a whole summer of alpine cheese among the farmers who grazed their cows on the alp. It makes a memorable autumn day trip from Wengen, about an hour away by road.

The event

From around 10:00, the wheels of cheese made on the Justistal alp through the summer are carried down and divided among the owners in proportion to the milk their cows produced. The cattle come down from the high pastures in a decorated Alpabzug, and the valley fills with market stalls, alphorn music and regional food. It is one of the most authentic living traditions in the Bernese Oberland, listed in the canton's register of local customs, and it draws visitors from across the region for a single day each September.

A day trip from Wengen

The Justistal sits above Sigriswil and Habkern on the north side of Lake Thun, so this is a drive rather than a train ride from car-free Wengen: down to Lauterbrunnen, then around the lake, roughly an hour in all. Come early, as parking and the access road are managed for the day and the crowds build through the morning.

Practical information

Date: Friday 18 September 2026, from 10:00.
Where: Justistal, above Sigriswil and Habkern on Lake Thun.
Getting there: about one hour by road from Wengen via Lauterbrunnen; not reachable by train.
Good to know: the exact date is set each year and changes, so check interlaken.swiss before travelling. Dress for alpine autumn weather.

Plan your stay

An autumn stay pairs the Chästeilet with the quieter, golden side of the Jungfrau region. Victoria Lauberhorn, a Faern Collection Hotel, gives you a calm base in the mountains and easy days out to traditions like this one. Book your September stay and let us point you to the best of the alpine autumn.