Baranovo Cheese Dairy, Iza

Baranovo is a small family-run cheese dairy with its own eco-farm in the village of Iza, just a few kilometres from Khust. The name says it all (baran means ram): the main residents are sheep, with goats grazing alongside them. Their milk goes into sheep's and mixed-milk cheeses made in the Transcarpathian tradition, and visitors are invited to follow the whole journey from pasture to cheese counter.

Tour and tasting

The visit starts at the farm, where you can see how the shaggy sheep and curious goats live and understand where the milk for the cheese comes from. Next comes the dairy, where the stages of production are shown and explained, and a tasting room with a collection of old tools once used by shepherds and cheesemakers. It is a great spot for atmospheric photos and stories about how budz, bryndza and vurda have been made in the mountains for generations.

The programme ends with a tasting: up to ten cheeses depending on the season, plus a drink of your choice, wine or homemade yoghurt. The farm's range includes the hard Grun cheese, the soft Rika, bryndza and vurda made to old recipes, as well as sheep's milk kefir and butter.

Masterclasses for groups

Organised groups (from 15 to 50 people) can book extra activities in advance:

• wicker weaving, about 20 minutes; Iza is famous for this craft across Ukraine;
• weaving on a traditional loom, about 20 minutes;
• a cheesemaking masterclass, up to two hours: participants make budz and take home a piece of freshly made cheese.

Farm shop

Cheeses you liked at the tasting can be bought right there in the eco-shop. Besides craft cheeses and bryndza, it sells dairy products, homemade yoghurts, sausages and other treats from the farm. Everything is packed for easy transport, so Baranovo is a good place to pick up tasty souvenirs from Zakarpattia.

Practical information

• Address: 259 Tsentralna St., Iza, Khust district, Zakarpattia region.
• Tasting with tour: 250 UAH per person; free for children under 6.
• Group masterclasses: wicker or loom weaving 160 UAH, cheesemaking 390 UAH per person.
• Booking: +380 96 281 39 16, e-mail [email protected].

Tours run by prior booking only, and opening hours are not published on the website, so arrange the time of your visit by phone in advance. Prices are taken from the farm's official website and may change.

How to get there

Iza lies about 5 km north of Khust. From the centre of Khust it is an easy 10–15 minute drive or taxi ride, and suburban buses also run between Khust and Iza. Khust itself has a railway station and bus connections with Uzhhorod, Mukachevo and Lviv.

Website and social media: baranovo.org

Photos: baranovo.org.