Paying homage to fromage

City of Lights…city of cheese? Paris, France, offers travelers the chance to experience history, architecture, romance, and of course its famous food and libations, but for cheese lovers, there’s now a place that formally pays homage to fromage. The Musée Vivant du Fromage — Living Cheese Museum — opened in mid-2024 and is enticing visitors away from more established must-sees like the Notre Dame Cathedral in the same neighborhood. The museum’s interactive and educational format includes a portion dedicated to the history and culture, geographic distribution and types of cheeses, as well as a look at the onsite dairy where cheese is produced daily (and of course, once you’ve worked up an appetite, the staff offers tastings). Round out the experience by browsing through the cheese shop and the gift boutique, and you’ll be well fortified for continuing your Parisian adventure.

But you don’t have to cross the pond to experience the history and legacy of cheese; there are plenty of sites in North America to get your fill. Wisconsin, fittingly, is home to the National Historic Cheesemaking Center. It’s located in Monroe, a small town known for its master cheesemaking ties in the heart of America’s Dairyland. And you don’t have to hit the road to shop for great cheese, either: also from Wisconsin, Hoard’s Dairyman Farm Creamery cheeses are available online to ship right to your door.