[This article was written as part of a paid partnership with Agrovision Burgrain.]
In the Swiss canton of Lucerne, Agrovision Burgrain oversees an organic farm, but that’s not all. This agricultural destination also has a restaurant, Hofladen (farm shop), butcher, cheesemaker, ProSpecieRara orchard with heirloom varieties, and more. In terms of livestock, the farm currently has about 65 cows and 1,000 chickens.
Burgrain farm is additionally home to the Schweizerisches Agrarmuseum (Swiss Agricultural Museum).
As part of your visit to Burgrain, you should also explore the hiking paths that surround the farm, allowing you to see local historic landmarks, such as the St. Blasius Chapel and the Kastelen Tower ruins.
Given all these different components, Burgrain has a lot to offer its visitors, including its delicious organic food products available at its Hofladen. Even if you can’t make it to the farm, you can still find a selection of these products available via its online shop, as well as retail outlets around Switzerland.
Read on to learn more about the fascinating story of how Burgrain got started, along with some tips to help you plan your visit. You’ll also find a recipe for the Gersauer Käsekuchen, which you can make with two kinds of Burgrain organic cheese.
Burgrain-Stube Restaurant
The restaurant at the farm, called the Burgrain-Stube, has earned a 3-star Bio Cuisine designation from Bio Suisse. This means that at least 90 percent of the products served at the restaurant are certified as organic. In addition, at least 60 percent of the products must have the Bio Suisse label.
Along with weekly specials and a popular Sunday brunch, the Burgrain-Stube’s menu features Swiss classics, such as Chastele Magronen, spelt macaroni with crispy onions and bacon, and Cordon Bleu, made with pork and Raclette cheese.
Opening hours for the Burgrain-Stube: Every day from 9:00 to 18:00, including public holidays.
Burgrain’s Hofladen
One hundred percent of the products sold at Burgrain’s farm shop (Hofladen) have been certified as organic. You can buy fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, dried meats, flour, bread, pastries, and chocolate, among many other products.
One of the bestsellers at the Hofladen is the Nussig Burgrainer, made with a natural walnut aroma. The milk for making this and other cheeses for sale at the shop comes directly from the farm, either transported on foot or by bike.
Opening hours for the Burgrain Hofladen: Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 18:00. Saturdays and Sundays from 8:00 to 17:00.
Recipe: Gersauer Käsekuchen
This version of a regional Swiss cheese tart, made with a yeasted dough and two kinds of organic cheese from the Burgrain farm’s Hofladen: Burgrain Bläsi rezent, a semi-hard cheese, and Burgrain Burgkäse, a hard cheese. Both are made from raw, full-fat cow’s milk.
Gersau, which lends its name to this savory tart, is a municipality and district in the canton of Schwyz, on the shores of Lake Lucerne. You can serve this tart in thin slices for an apéro or with a salad for supper.
Gersauer Käsekuchen, a savory tart made with two types of organic cheese from Burgrain farm.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 250 g Burgrain UrDinkel Halbwiismähl (spelt half-white flour)
- 3 g (½ teaspoon) salt
- 25 g unsalted butter, softened
- 10 g fresh yeast, crumbled
- 150 ml water, lukewarm
Filling:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 200 g Burgrain Bläsi rezent cheese, grated
- 200 g Burgrain Burgkäse cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Burgrain UrDinkel Halbwiismähl
- 200 ml milk
- 3 eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the dough: Add the flour, salt and unsalted butter, in pieces, to the large bowl. Stir these ingredients together and make a well in the center of the mixture. Set aside.
- Separately, add the yeast to the lukewarm water in a small bowl. Let it sit for a few minutes and then stir until the yeast has completely dissolved. Pour the mixture into the center of the large bowl with the flour mixture. Stir everything together until a dough forms. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface, or using an electric mixer with a dough hook, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.
- First rise: Place the dough back in the large bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
- Second rise: When the dough has risen, grease a round baking pan (diameter: 30 cm) with butter or line it with parchment paper. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin lightly dusted in flour, and create a circle large enough to fit the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the dough into the pan, pressing it onto the bottom and sides. Cover the pan loosely with the damp kitchen towel and let the dough rise a second time for 30 minutes.
- Cook the onions: While the dough rises in the pan, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and cook them for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they soften and become translucent. When they’re done, transfer them from the pan to a heat safe dish to cool.
- Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, add both types of grated cheese and the flour. Stir these ingredients together until evenly distributed. Then, add the milk, eggs, salt, and the cooled onions. Stir everything together until these ingredients are well combined.
- Bake the tart: When the dough has completed its second rise in the pan, use a fork to prick the bottom of the dough in several places. After that, pour the filling in the center of the dough in the pan and spread it into an even layer. In an oven preheated to 180°C, bake the tart for 25-30 minutes, until the tart’s surface becomes golden brown.
Swiss Agricultural Museum
The Swiss Agricultural Museum re-opened in 2021, after the construction of the new Schüür building. Today, the museum offers exhibitions on current and historical agricultural practices, including interactive displays and self-guided tours in English. With a focus on sustainable farming and nutrition, the museum has both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
Opening hours for the Swiss Agricultural Museum: Thursday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00, including public holidays (closed Mondays).
Walking Paths
Within and surrounding Burgrain, there are walking paths that allow you to explore the farm and the historic landmarks that surround it. To start, you can visit the historic St. Blasius Chapel, across the street from the farm. After that, you can walk up to see the Schloss Castelen (Castelen castle) and the Kastelen Tower ruins, perched on a hillside above the farm.
History of Burgrain
The Burgrain estate dates back to the 19th century. It takes its name from the district of Burgrain where it’s found within the municipality of Alberswil. The estate has had different uses over the years, but always connected with agriculture.
Starting in 1873, the site was home to the Gutsbetrieb (poor house) and Bürgerasy (citizen’s asylum). Then in 1962, the Willisau agricultural school moved to the estate, followed by the Swiss museum of agriculture and agricultural technology in 1974. Finally, in 2007 the Agrovision Muri Foundation, a subsidiary of the Josef Müller Foundation Muri, acquired the building and usage rights to the land of the former estate, today totaling about 45 hectares.
The foundation behind Agrovision Burgrain has an interesting history of its own, started originally in 1980 by Mathilde Müller. She named the foundation after her beloved father, Josef Müller, who passed away when she was 20 years old. Having grown up on a farm, he eventually worked his way up within the management of the Cailler chocolate company, which eventually became part of Nestlé. After saving her shares in the company over the years, Mathilde Müller was able to start her foundation with an impressive sum of 30 million Swiss francs. She passed away in 1991, but her passion for organic agriculture, due in part to her father’s upbringing, lives on through her foundation’s support of Agrovision Burgrain.
How to get there:
By car: It takes about 35 minutes to arrive at the Burgrain farm from Lucerne. From Zürich, it takes about 1 hour, and from Geneva it takes about 2 hours and 40 minutes.
By public transportation: From the town of Sursee, take the no. 63 bus (towards Käppelimatt) for about 19 minutes to the “Alberswil, Burgrain” stop. After that, follow the signs to Burgrain farm. It takes about 5-7 minutes to walk there.
Agrovision Burgrain AG, Burgrain 8, 6248 Alberswil, +41 (0)41 980 57 90, info@burgrain.ch
Categories: Culinary travel, Lucerne, Recipe, Restaurant, Swiss, Swiss food, Switzerland
