Olomouc festival marks 150 years of Czechia’s most pungent cheese
Love them or hate them, Olomoucké tvarůžky are among Czechia’s most distinctive cheeses, known for their strong smell and unmistakable taste. This weekend, the traditional tvarůžky festival in Olomouc marked 150 years since production began.
Burgers, flatbreads, potato pancakes, mayonnaise and even chocolate pralines. All made with Olomoucké tvarůžky, a cheese that comes in small, soft rounds, pale yellow in colour, and is known for its strong and distinctive smell that tends to divide opinion.
At the annual tvarůžky festival in the centre of Olomouc, which took place this past weekend, visitors could sample dozens of dishes built around the region’s most famous cheese.
Some stayed close to tradition, while others experimented with new flavours, combining the strong and savoury taste with sweet ingredients like chocolate or caramel.
The event attracts crowds every year. More than 20,000 people attend, consuming around six and a half tonnes of tvarůžky. And it is not just locals. Visitors also travel from neighbouring countries, including Slovakia, Austria and Poland.
Among them was Andrea from Bratislava:
“I already knew about it, but I missed it last year, so this time I came for the whole weekend. The first thing I tried was tvarůžky with sweet caramel. And it was really excellent.”
The stinky cheese itself has a long and very local history. Production began in 1876 in the nearby town of Loštice, about 30 kilometres north of Olomouc. What started as a small home operation gradually grew into a family business that still exists today.
Leoš Kalandra from A.W. Loštice, the company that produces the original Olomoucké tvarůžky, explains:
“Production began in Loštice in 1876, when Josef Vesel started making tvarůžky at home in modest conditions. It was later expanded by his son, who turned it into a proper business. The family tradition continues to this day.”
That long tradition is now formally protected. In 2010, Olomoucké tvarůžky received European Union geographical status, after a six-year legal dispute with producers in Germany and Austria. This means the cheese can only be produced in the Loštice area using traditional methods.
That protected status has also helped preserve and promote the tradition. In Loštice, there is even a museum dedicated to Olomoucké tvarůžky, where visitors can learn about both traditional and modern production and watch a film about its history.
Whether people love them or avoid them, Olomoucké tvarůžky remain one of Czechia’s most unusual culinary specialities and continue to draw visitors to Olomouc every year.
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