Why This Wisconsin Town Deserves More Attention
New Glarus, in southern Wisconsin, has been called America's Little Switzerland since the Swiss founders showed up in 1845 and never quite let the heritage go. Today you can eat fondue at a chalet on Highway 39, watch flag-throwing at the August Volksfest, drink Spotted Cow at the brewery on the hill, and pick up a block of Limburger from one of the cheese shops downtown (the cooperative that makes it, in nearby Monroe, has been the only producer of Limburger in the United States since 1885). The Christkindli Market in December turns Sixth Avenue into something pulled out of the Alps. The town runs about 2,200 people. Most of them are within a few minutes' walk of all of it.
Festivals and Community Events
New Glarus is built around its festivals. The Swiss Volksfest, held each August, is the big one, with traditional Swiss music, dance, and food. Yodeling, alphorn playing, and flag tossing all feature on the bill. Polkafest fills downtown with live polka music and dancing each June, and the separate Beer, Bacon & Cheese Festival spotlights regional beer, meat, and cheese. These events show how New Glarus blends Swiss tradition with classic Midwestern culture.
The Swiss Historical Village Harvest Fest is the autumn favorite, using the museum grounds to celebrate the area's rural heritage with seasonal activities. During the holidays, New Glarus hosts both a downtown Holiday Tree Lighting and the Christkindli Market, an outdoor European-style Christmas market with handcrafted goods, live music, and string lights along Sixth Avenue.
Notable Historic and Natural Landmarks
The Swiss Historical Village Museum gives the most thorough look at the town's roots. The 14-building campus includes an original settler's cabin, a cheese factory, a one-room schoolhouse, a print shop, and other structures that trace the Swiss immigrant past. Artifacts, photographs, and exhibits cover founding through later development.
For outdoor recreation, the Sugar River State Trail runs 24 miles from New Glarus to Brodhead through farmland, woods, rolling hills, and remnant prairie. It crosses the historic railroad bridge over the Sugar River and is open for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. New Glarus Woods State Park, just south of town, has 411 acres of southern Wisconsin's increasingly rare oak-hickory and oak-maple forest, plus camping, picnicking, and trails. Art in the Park, held in New Glarus Village Park, showcases regional artists' work in a green setting.
Notable Commercial Spots
New Glarus delivers on food and drink. Chalet Landhaus Restaurant serves Swiss specialties (fondue, raclette, schnitzel) alongside American cuisine in a Swiss-style setting. The historic New Glarus Hotel building remains under redevelopment rather than operating as a restaurant. Puempel's Olde Tavern is the town's best-known historic gathering place. Founded in 1893, the bar still pulls New Glarus beer (more on that below) and serves simple tavern fare. Murals depicting William Tell and Swiss legend, painted in the early 1900s, cover the interior walls and remain the highlight of a visit.
For cheese, Chalet Cheese Cooperative is in nearby Monroe and remains the only producer of Limburger cheese in the United States, a tradition the cooperative has held since 1885. Downtown New Glarus has plenty of cheese shops carrying its products. Fat Cat Coffee Works on Railroad Street offers coffee, baked goods, breakfast, and lunch. New Glarus Brewing Company, on a hilltop just south of downtown, is the regional brewing giant. Its flagship Spotted Cow ale is sold only in Wisconsin, which has helped make a trip to the brewery a Wisconsin road-trip ritual.
A Weekend That Doesn't Feel Like Anywhere Else
Festivals, museums, scenic trails, and Swiss-style food and drink make New Glarus the kind of weekend that doesn't run out of things to do. Even Wisconsin residents who have driven past the brewery exit 100 times tend to leave their first stop already planning the next. America's Little Switzerland earns the name.
