Glimpse Of Gruyères

Located on the hill right in front of the Swiss Alps, Gruyères has a specially beautiful appearance.

One of the first things you need to know is that Gruyères is a very well-preserved medieval village.

This is one of the reasons why Gruyères has been attracting a lot of tourists and local visitors over the last decades.

However, Gruyères has definitely a lot more to offer and by the end of this blog, you will know why it very well deserves to be considered one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland.

Gruyères holds the legal status of being a city, as back in the medieval age it fulfilled the necessary requirements.

However, in modern days in Switzerland, a town is then called a city, when it has more than 10,000 inhabitants.

Thus, Gruyères, with a population of roughly 2,000, feels more like a village.

When roaming around the village, you will get to see a lot of traditional houses, which give this village its charm.

While it’s very enjoyable to walk around the village, don’t forget to also visit the sections where you can climb the walls of the city.

From there, you can enjoy a great view over the plains and for sure it’s a great photo spot too.

The interior of the village is very alluring with its many medieval houses. Also, it’s definitely a great idea to take trails around the village.

The trail will take you through the green surroundings, and surely you will get to see many cows.

The latter are central to the identity of the people of the canton of Fribourg, as it is their milk that ends up in the fondue bowl or as double cream in the desserts.

Château de Gruyères

Your medieval highlight will be a visit to the Château de Gruyères. It is the centerpiece of the village that dates back to the 13th century.

Gruyères was once an earldom, in German “Grafschaft”, that lasted for roughly four centuries.

The era ended with the last earl running into bankruptcy, selling this territory to the cantons of Fribourg and Bern.

The castle is very impressive from the outside, especially the garden is a must-see.

The yard is also very nice, but the most interesting part awaits you at the interior. The castle’s rooms are full of paintings and other masterpieces of art.

This is only thanks to the Bovy and Balland families, who bought the castle in 1849 and invited a number of artists to the castle in order to decorate its rooms.

Since 1938, the castle has been returned to the canton of Fribourg, and they converted it into a museum, as it remains to this day.

I highly recommend you to come to the castle, because this is really a must-visit if you’re coming to Gruyères.

La Maison du Gruyère

Besides the medieval vibes, Gruyères also offers much on the culinary side. Gruyères is world-famous for its cheese.

At the bottom of the hill, you can visit a factory called La Maison de Gruyères, where you can watch the making of it live. It is located right beside the Gruyères train station.

Here, you can learn about how the cheese is being fabricated and you’ll also get a few samples to taste. 

When I visited the museum, they gave me three different cheeses from different ages to try.

The making of the cheese is showcased between 9 am to 12:30 pm. In the first longer step, the milk is stirred until the consistency is satisfying.

Then, the mass is filled into the bowls, where it will stay to mature into the final semi-hard cheese.

From watching the master cheesemakers at work to participating in interactive exhibits, the experience is both exciting and educational.

Things To See In Gruyères

You can visit Église Saitn-Théodule de Gruyères (Catholic church) which is surely worth a short visit. Then, there are a couple of interesting museums:

First, go to the HR Giger Museum. H.R. Giger designed all the Aliens for the famous Hollywood movie, and inside the museum, you can see a lot of his masterpieces of art.

If you don’t want to go to the museum, then I suggest you go to the bar. Inside the bar, you also have an amazing interior, which was designed by H.R. Giger.

Then there is the Tibet Museum, which is built into a chapel. Here, you can watch the religious art of the Tibetan people, more specifically statues and paintings from the Vajrayana tradition.

It’s so far the only building at which I have seen Christian and Buddhist icons being side by side; something that I found quite fascinating.

Food

Of course, you should try Gruyère cheese, but there are other foods you must try in Gruyères.

First, you have a fondue called Moitié-Moitié fondue (Half-Half fondue). As the name suggests, it contains two sorts of cheese: Gruyère and Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese.

Another specialty from this region is meringue and double cream, which is best taken with berries and I love this one.

Both meringue and double cream can be bought at local stores in the village.

With Gruyères being a foodie hub, there are of course a lot of restaurants to dine in.

Some of them are:

Fleur de Lys

Chalet de Gruyères

Auberge de la Halle

Hotel de Ville

Restaurant de La Masion du Gruyère

Restaurant des Remparts

There are many reasons why you should visit Gruyères such as history, traditions, great food, uniqueness, and a beautiful surrounding landscape. 

It’s best to travel to Gruyères from late spring to early October. If you wish to avoid the crowds, then you may want to consider arriving here during the week.