Heising: Cheese Tradition and Railway History

If you choose a destination based on its specific local history, Heising offers well-defined themes around cheese-making, railways and village history. Its history can be traced through individual buildings, railway stations and a historical walking trail.

Explore local history on foot

The Lauben Historical Walking Trail comprises 39 stops and leads, among other places, to Heising Old Station, the Heising cheese kitchen, Wendelin Chapel, Käserei Champignon and the former Heising New Station. The trail brings together places that reflect the themes of railways, cheese and the village’s religious history. Following the stops introduces you to different aspects of the district rather than just a single historical narrative.

Cheese history in several stages

Käserei Champignon was founded in Heising in 1908 by Julius Hirschle and Leopold Immler. The history of cheese-making also includes a Camembert with a distinctive flavour, made from 500 litres of milk each day. Because of its pronounced fresh-mushroom aroma, it was named “Champignon Camembert”.

Another stop on this history trail is the building at Dorfstraße 14. From 1906 to 1926, it served as the cheese kitchen of the Heising cooperative cheese dairy. This identifies not only the founding of the cheese dairy, but also a specific former use of a building in the village. These two connections offer different points of reference for Heising’s cheese-making history: the founding of a business and the use of a cheese kitchen over a defined period.

Railway stations: passenger stops and cheese transport

Heising Old Station was built in 1862/63 along with the Memmingen–Kempten railway line. It was used as a railway stop for passenger services for forty years. This clearly distinguishes its former role from the freight transport associated with Heising New Station.

The New Station was inaugurated in 1902 and remained in operation until 1979. Because of its proximity to Käserei Champignon, it soon acquired the nickname “Cheese Station”. Up to one and a half tonnes of cheese were loaded there each day as express freight and transported onwards in refrigerated wagons. The quantity and type of transport make the historical link between cheese production and rail traffic tangible. The “Zu den sieben Schwaben” inn was built immediately after the new station was constructed in 1902; its origins therefore also date to this period.

Chapel and villa: different timelines

St. Wendelin Chapel was built through the voluntary efforts of the farming community, organised by a church-building association. It is dedicated to St. Wendelin, the patron saint of farmers. In southern Germany, it is said to be the only place of worship owned privately by an association. Catholic and Protestant services are held there regularly. As individual dates may vary, check the current service schedule before your visit.

The Villa Hirschle / Immler offers a different timeline: it was first mentioned in 1712, burned down in 1904 and was subsequently rebuilt. This sequence of first mention, fire and reconstruction sets the villa’s history apart from the later railway and cheese-related stops.

Hiking Trail L2 and choosing a focus

Hiking Trail L2 follows shaded forest paths into the district of Heising and leaves Heising via Finken, continuing east towards Haldenwang. The routes described differ clearly in character: the Historical Walking Trail focuses on named local stops, while L2 is characterised by forest paths and its continuation eastwards. This lets you choose the route focus that best suits your interest in local history or a particular route.

For the broader travel overview: Lauben.