Sweet gingerbread is a popular souvenir from a trip to Einsiedeln. The tradition of baking dates back to the 14th century and is deeply rooted in the history of pilgrimages to this unique town, which is home to a Marian shrine known in Europe.
The place where you can stock up on traditional sweets is Goldapfel - for over 170 years this name has been synonymous with delicious hermitage specialties and the "Golden Apple" (Goldapfel) from Einsedeln is known far beyond the borders of the canton.
Local bakers and confectioners make every effort every day to process regional raw materials into the best products.
The most famous pilgrimage cake in Einsiedeln is the honey cake in the form of a lamb. Due to the unique taste and aroma of the baked product - it is known throughout Switzerland. The lamb motif refers to a pagan ritual adopted by the first Christians. At Easter, a ram was sacrificed, which was called "agnus dei", or the lamb of God. Today, the cake in the form of a ram can be safely called the iconic Einsiedeln cake.
Gingerbread, rams and other specialties have long been a characteristic tradition in Einsiedeln. Sweet souvenirs from pilgrimages could be bought in Einsiedeln since around 1300. Thanks to the development of pilgrimages, stalls and market stalls were established in the city, and shopkeepers offered a wide range of products, including gingerbread and honey dough. At first, gingerbread was baked by people called "Schäfli", who baked pilgrimage pastries at home in their tiled ovens, from 1850 the craft developed into a commercial activity.
The Lamb and Gingerbread Museum and shop are currently located on Kronenstrasse in Einsiedeln. This is where you should go if you are interested in the history of sweet souvenirs from Einsiedeln. The interior of the shop offering gingerbread and other sweet pastries has a historically stylized interior and looks exactly as it did in the 19th century.
Inside the shop there are exhibits related to baking cakes, as well as family heirlooms of the bakers.
In a glass case, we can see old ceramic products and wooden molds used in the 16th and 18th centuries. The museum also explains the historical and religious background of the hermitage baking tradition. You can also see machines from the early 20th century, baking dishes, documents, equipment, as well as an impressive collection of old wooden models and other objects from the turn of the century.
The museum cases also present gingerbread models, old and new lamb models, as well as typical Einsiedeln cake shapes such as fish, Schäfli, Kräpfli, bouquets and Biberli. The valuable models of sweets prepared for Advent, Christmas and New Year look particularly beautiful.
So you can travel back in time for a moment and see and taste the world of 1896.
Entrance to the Lamb and Gingerbread Museum is free during the shop's opening hours or you can use the paid services of a guide, and after the tour, taste local specialities.
