If there is one flavor that tastes like home here in Ohio’s Amish Country, it is cheese. Holmes County has been quietly making some of the best cheese in the Midwest for well over a century, and the tradition is still every bit as hands-on as it was when the first copper kettles arrived. As a Millersburg host, this is the question I get most often from guests: where do we actually go to taste it?

So here is my local’s answer — a proper cheese trail you can drive in an afternoon, with a few of my favorite stops, what makes each one worth the trip, and how to turn a cheese run into a whole weekend.

The Holmes County cheese trail at a glance:

Guggisberg Cheese — the birthplace of Baby Swiss

You cannot talk about Holmes County cheese without starting here. Swiss cheesemaker Alfred Guggisberg invented Baby Swiss right here in the Doughty Valley, and it is still the signature today. The mild, buttery, small-holed Swiss is the one most visitors fall for, but the lineup runs deeper than that — including Ziller, a slightly sweet Swiss crossover that took first place at the 2025 United States Championship Cheese Contest. Grab a wedge, watch the countryside roll by, and you will understand why this is the cheese people mail home. (You can learn more at babyswiss.com.)

Heini’s Cheese Chalet (Bunker Hill Cheese) — the sampling stop

If you only have time for one stop, make it this one. Established in 1935 and still family-run, Heini’s is the spot for tasting: their counter is famous for free samples across more than 50 varieties of natural cheese, from mild farmer’s cheese to bold, aged options and their beloved cheese fudge. It is the most fun you can have deciding what to buy, and it is genuinely welcoming to first-timers who don’t know a Colby from a Gouda yet. Come hungry and take your time.

Walnut Creek Cheese & Market — the one-stop destination

A little further east in Walnut Creek, this is the big, do-it-all stop: cheeses, smoked meats, baked goods, bulk foods, gift boxes, and a restaurant if you want to sit down for a meal. If your travel companions have different appetites — one wants cheese, one wants pie, one wants a sandwich — this is where everyone gets what they came for under one roof.

Holmes Cheese Co. — the local milk story

Right here near Millersburg, Holmes Cheese Co. sources almost all local milk, which is exactly the kind of farm-to-table story this county does so well. It is a lovely reminder that the cheese in your hand started in a pasture a few miles up the road.

How do you plan a cheese-trail day in Holmes County?

Here is the rhythm I recommend to guests. Start mid-morning at Heini’s while you are fresh enough to taste everything, then let your sweet tooth wander. Swing through Guggisberg for the Baby Swiss you will want to bring home. Break for lunch at Walnut Creek. Round it out with a bulk-food stop for crackers, jams, and trail bologna so you have the makings of a proper charcuterie board back at your suite that evening.

One friendly local tip: hours vary by season and many shops keep shorter or closed hours on Sundays, so it is always worth checking each shop’s current hours before you set out.

For an up-to-date directory of makers and hours, Visit Amish Country is the local authority and a good bookmark.

Make a weekend of it

A cheese board tastes even better when you don’t have to drive home afterward. My guests love turning a day on the cheese trail into a slow weekend in Historic Downtown Millersburg, with their finds spread out on the counter and a bottle of something nearby. If that sounds like your kind of afternoon, come stay at Suite on Jackson — our art-filled suite right downtown, walkable to shops and restaurants and centered on everything you’ll want to explore.

Sign up on our website for 10% off your first stay — then book direct with us for a relaxed 3 PM check-in and 11 AM checkout, so you’re never rushing on cheese day. Check availability here, and pick up a wedge of Baby Swiss for me on your way in.

Holmes County Cheese FAQs