The world's most beautiful dairy shop
...that's what the Guinness Book of Records calls this place. And it's not hard to see why this is indeed the world's most beautiful dairy shop.
A baroque dairy palace
Walking into Pfunds Molkerei in the German city of Dresden, every visitor is immediately drawn to its stunning interior, which is decorated with the most beautiful hand painted tiles. Produced by the German ceramics manufacturer Villeroy and Boch, the tiles have fairytale motives and cover a surface of nearly 250 square meters. A true baroque masterpiece.
The origins of Pfunds Molkerei
Pfunds Molkerei was founded in 1880 by Paul Gustav Leander Pfund. He was a dairy farmer who had left the countryside and moved to Dresden to find a larger customer base for his cattle's milk. When he started the dairy shop, he initially only sold fresh milk. But as production grew he started using surplus milk to create other dairy products such as condensed milk, yoghurt, regional cheeses as well as traditional milk soap bars. When the business started to grow, Paul's brother Friedrich joined forces and the company became the Dresdner Molkerei Gebrüder Pfund.
In 1892 Pfunds moved the shop to its current location on 79 Bautzner Strasse. The stunning interior helped to attract more and more customers. Miraculously, the shop survived the WWII bombings that devastated most of Dresden. Pfunds Molkerei is now one of the city’s most iconic sights, attracting thousands of visitors in any normal, pandemic-free year. Although production no longer takes place onsite, the shop continues to sell a wide variety of dairy products, including its popular milk soap bars. Little doubt this shop is indeed still the world’s most beautiful dairy shop.
Visit Pfunds Molkerei from your own home
Fancy a walk through Pfunds Molkerei from the comfort of your own home? This link offers a brilliant virtual tour of the store!
Images credit: Neustadt Spaziergang, Dresdner Molkerei Gebrüder Pfund