Heising: Cheese History, Railway and Trails

Heising brings together cheese history, railway tradition and regional culture in an unusual way. Anyone wishing to combine a trip with historical discoveries and physical activity will find various starting points here for planning their day. A holiday apartment in Heising can serve as a base for personal priorities: a historical walk, a route through the forest and local districts, or insights into the development of cheese production.

In the Footsteps of Railways and Cheese

The Lauben Historical Hiking Trail comprises 39 stations. The destinations mentioned include Heising Old Station, the Heising Cheese Dairy, St. Wendelin Chapel, Champignon Cheese Dairy and the former Heising New Station. The stations tell of different chapters in local and economic history, without this necessarily resulting in a single circular route of equal significance at every point.

Heising Old Station was built in 1862/63 together with the Memmingen–Kempten railway line. For four decades, it served as a railway stop for passenger transport. Heising New Station was inaugurated in 1902 and remained in operation until 1979. Because of its proximity to Champignon Cheese Dairy, it soon acquired the nickname “Cheese Station.” Up to one and a half tonnes of cheese were loaded there daily as express freight and transported onward in refrigerated wagons. Immediately after the new station was built, the “Zu den sieben Schwaben” inn was also established in 1902.

Champignon Cheese Dairy and Historical Local Details

Champignon Cheese Dairy was founded in Heising in 1908 by Julius Hirschle and Leopold Immler. The dairy’s history includes a Camembert made from 500 litres of milk each day, which had a distinctive taste. Because of its pronounced scent of fresh mushrooms, it was given the name “Champignon Camembert.” Anyone interested in the connection between craftsmanship, agriculture and regional development can make this story a focus of their stay.

At Champignon-Hofmeister’s Lauben site, there is a cheese shop offering factory-direct sales. It is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Bear these opening hours in mind if a visit there is part of your travel plans. The former cheese dairy of the Heising cooperative cheese dairy was located at Dorfstraße 14 from 1906 to 1926.

Chapel, Villa and Other Places of Remembrance

St. Wendelin Chapel was built by the farming population through the voluntary efforts of a church-building association and dedicated to Saint Wendelin, the patron saint of farmers. It is considered the only place of worship in southern Germany that is privately owned by an association. Catholic and Protestant services are held regularly in the chapel. For visitors interested in religious local history and local association culture, it is a special point of interest.

The Hirschle / Immler Villa also represents the area’s long development. It was first mentioned in 1712, burned down in 1904 and was subsequently rebuilt. Another historical reference leads to the year 1958: at that time, the owner Mathis opened the first self-service grocery store in the Allgäu.

Trails for Different Day Plans

In addition to the historical hiking trail, the L2 hiking trail offers a different way to experience Heising. It leads along shaded forest paths into the Heising district and leaves Heising via Finken in an easterly direction, continuing to Haldenwang. Depending on your interests, you can therefore choose between historical stations, religious and economic local history, and a route through forests and local districts. Families can decide together whether, on a given day, the focus should be more on specific architectural and technological history or on physical activity.

When looking for a holiday apartment in Heising, it is worth considering your preferred travel rhythm. Anyone wishing to combine several historical themes can include the stations around the railway stations, cheese dairy, chapel and villa. For a more active day plan, exploring the L2 hiking trail is a good option.

For the overarching travel overview: Lauben.