Gruyères, Switzerland in all its essence
They say that Gruyères is the most beautiful village in Switzerland. After two trips to this country, I don’t dare to confirm such a statement 100% because there are many corners that exude charm there.
However, it is true that the beauty of Gruyères is undeniable. A medieval village perched on a hill, surrounded by walls, a fairy-tale castle, and a most bucolic setting with cows grazing in the meadows. It lacks nothing. In any case, in case you still have doubts about visiting it, you should know that added to the village’s charm are two more attractions that make it a paradise for foodies: cheese and chocolate. An irresistible formula that will make you want to visit Gruyères no matter what on your trip to Switzerland.
Where is Gruyères
Gruyères is located halfway between Montreux and Bern, the capital of Switzerland. Although before reaching the capital, you could make a stop in the interesting Fribourg which gives its name to the canton where Gruyères is located and is only half an hour away by car.
Gruyères can boast a privileged location at the top of a hill from where to overlook the Fribourg Prealps. A position that also highlights its beauty even more, and seeing its fairy-tale silhouette appear at the top as you arrive is most exciting.
How to get to Gruyères
In my case, we arrived by car from Sion where we were staying in an exchange house. If you have a rental car, you can park very close to the main entrance because there is a large paid parking lot next to it, plus two others a bit further ahead.
The most common way is to arrive via the A12 toll motorway. In case you are going with your own vehicle, remember that you need the vignette, an annual toll purchased at gas stations for about 40 francs that allows you to drive on the motorways.
You can also get to Gruyères by train by getting off at the stop of the same name. From Gruyères station, you will have about a 10-minute walk up to the top of the medieval city. Remember that if you have the Swiss Travel Pass, the journey is included. Also, as you will see later, this Swiss tourist pass will save you more money during your visit to Gruyères and surroundings.
9 must-dos in Gruyères
Visiting one of the most beautiful villages in Switzerland can be done in a short time due to its small size, or you can spend the whole day if you want to make the most of it.
No matter how much time you have, here are several ideas for things to do in Gruyères.
Entering through the old gate
A small dirt path, where cows graze, leads up to the Belluard, the old fortified gate or bastion that remains the main entrance to the medieval town of Gruyères. Once you cross it, turn around to see the reverse side of this structure designed for defense and to prevent unwanted visits. With great care, you can even climb up stone steps to the facade of the gate next to a charming circular tower that leads to a very well-preserved wall with battlements.
Then, you will see a pointed arch that welcomes you to the heart of Gruyères. Before passing through it, look up to see a representation of two medieval heroes still on its walls, Claremboz and Bras de Fer, who faithfully protected the county of Gruyères during the war against Bern.
Strolling through its old town
Now indeed, after walking a few meters, you will reach the great main avenue which, in the form of an oblong square, longer than it is wide, is the artery of Gruyères.
At one end of Gruyères is the Chupia-Bârba tower, which today is a beautiful viewpoint from which to gaze at Gruyères. However, in the past, it was a place where prisoners were interrogated and even tortured, ending in death sentences. Just before reaching here, there is the Gruyères tourist office (rue du Bourg, 1), open daily from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM.
At the opposite end is Gruyères Castle, which I will tell you about in detail later.
In case you didn’t know, this beautiful medieval village is pedestrianized, so you can walk safely and enjoy every corner from one side to the other of that large square around which everything is centered.
Before your eyes, facades covered in flowers, banners, and coats of arms will transport you to the Middle Ages for a while. Although it is true that Gruyères has become a very touristy place full of restaurants, hotels, and craft and souvenir shops, it still maintains its charm. The ideal thing is to walk along that avenue and its narrow streets unhurriedly to discover all the details that make Gruyères unique.
What will catch your eye as soon as you arrive is the charming fountain of sandstone adorned with flowers. Back in the 18th century, this fountain gained great prominence for bringing running water to Gruyères to give a break to its inhabitants who had to get it from wells and cisterns. Of course, originally the pipes were built of wood until the pressure overwhelmed them and they ended up bursting.
You will also see the Calvaire, an old 16th-century building that you will easily mistake for a small chapel or church because of the crucified Christ that welcomes you. However, it is an old warehouse for goods that was initially located next to the Belluard gate. Due to the excess moisture in that area which put the stored grains at risk, it was moved to its current location at the fork in the street that marks the ascent to the castle.
The most unusual museum in Gruyères: HR Giger
When I imagined photographing Gruyères, it never crossed my mind to find such a curious museum. If you are a fan of the Alien film saga, you will surely love the H.R. Giger museum dedicated to the creator of this alien monster for Ridley Scott’s film ‘Alien’. A work that earned him an Oscar in 1980 for best visual effects. By the way, in the museum you can see the coveted statuette.
In addition, you will be amazed by a life-size alien and immerse yourself in the dark world of this multifaceted artist named Hans Rudi Giger, who mastered the airbrush like no one else and had a fetishistic side that shows through in many of his works. For this reason, visiting with children is not recommended, and they warn you about this at the door. However, I was alone with two of my children and took a quick look, skipping those works with more complicated content. There is one specific area where they warn you about erotic content, which I obviously skipped.
Prices: Adults €12.50, students, military personnel, and retirees €8.50, and children €4.
You can get a combined ticket for the H.R. Giger Museum and Gruyères Castle for €19.
In my case, I entered for free without paying as I had the Swiss Travel Pass. Surely, if I hadn’t had it, I wouldn’t have paid to see it, and I was glad I did because I found it to be a most curious museum.
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Tibet Museum
To make the walk through Gruyères even more eclectic, right next to the H.R. Giger Museum, you will find the Tibet Museum of the Alain Bordier Foundation.
Inside, more than 350 pieces of Himalayan art are on display, an incredible collection of sacred Buddhist art that I also didn’t expect to find in a medieval Swiss village. Pieces from the 6th to 18th century, brought from places like Tibet, India, Nepal, Kashmir, and Myanmar now exhibited in this museum located in the old St. Joseph’s chapel.
Prices: 10 CHF. Seniors and students 8 CHF. Children from 6 to 16 years old 5 CHF. Free with the Swiss Travel Pass.
It also offers the option of a combined ticket with the castle for 17 CHF.
Conquering Gruyères Castle
The crown jewel of Gruyères is its impressive castle. This 13th-century fortress catches everyone’s eye, not only because of its privileged position at the top of the hill with the Saane River below, but also because of the beauty of its architecture and the treasures it holds inside.
I visited it on the same day as Chillon Castle ,on the shores of Lake Geneva, and although I confess I liked Chillon more, Gruyères is hot on its heels, so much so that it is the second most visited in all of Switzerland.
Inside, three floors await you with an extensive collection of art pieces, weapons, and furniture that make the visit very interesting.
If you go with children, ask at the ticket office for a sort of children’s bestiary with which the little ones will have to search for animals throughout the castle during the visit. Of course, a crane will not be missing from this challenge, as this bird is the emblem of Gruyères. Legend says that Gruerius, king of the Vandals, saw a crane (in French ‘grue’) flying over the red sunset sky and found it so symbolic that he decided to found his city right there. That is why Gruyères has the name it has and why a crane appears on its heraldic shield against a red background.
Although the interior of Gruyères Castle is beautiful, you cannot miss its exterior where a perfect French-style garden stands out (remember we are in French-speaking Switzerland). The views of this garden from one of the balconies are incredible.
Prices: Adults 12 CHF. Students and seniors 8 CHF. Children from 6 to 16 years old: 4 CHF. Free with the Swiss Travel Pass.
Family ticket for 2 adults and up to 3 children under 16 years old: 25 francs.
Combined ticket with the H.R. Giger Museum 19 CHF / with the Tibet Museum 17 CHF / with the Maison Gruyères 16 CHF.
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Saint Theodule Church
From the castle, you can contemplate Saint Theodule Church with its small cemetery next to it. In addition to photographing this beautiful scene, if you have time, I recommend taking a walk to it to get away from the more touristy area of Gruyères and see its interior.
This temple, whose origin dates back to the 12th century, has had to be restored on several occasions, the most important after a fire, but it still maintains its charm. It is dedicated to Saint Theodore, Bishop of Sion, and in addition to the organ inside, its tower with up to eight bells stands out.
The sweetest finale at Maison Cailler
Chocolate lovers have their paradise very close to Gruyères, in the town of Broc. There you will find Maison Cailler, now a museum dedicated to chocolate where the original 1898 factory was located.
Throughout the visit, you will take an interactive journey through time through the history of this sweet, from the discovery of cocoa to the present day. It is a perfect plan to go with children who will enjoy and learn in equal measure. Mine loved it; also, there is a small playground outside.
Not only will you be able to learn a lot about cocoa and the process of turning it into such a sweet bite, but at the end, you will taste plenty of bonbons and chocolates to savor the true value of Swiss chocolate without limit.
I recommend going with enough time because it is one of the most visited places in Switzerland; it is common to find quite a queue and visits have set times. In my case, when I arrived, there were no tickets available and the next slot was two and a half hours later (time we spent in Gruyères).
You can book tickets with your assigned day and time in advance on the official website and go straight to the entrance upon arrival. But if you have the Swiss Travel Pass, with which you enter for free, you will have to go through the ticket office first to get your tickets for a specific time.
Maison Cailler Prices: Adults 17 CHF. Students and retirees 14 CHF. Children from 6 to 15 years old 7 CHF.
Free entry to Maison Cailler with the Swiss Travel Pass.
The Chocolate Train
If you travel with the Swiss Travel Pass, you are lucky enough to have this very special journey included, which departs from Montreux and ends in Montbovon where a bus will take you to the Maison de Gruyères cheese factory. Afterwards, you will have time to visit Gruyères and finally they will take you to Maison Cailler.
The journey is made in first class in the historical carriages from 1915, of the Belle Epoque. In addition, a hot breakfast is included during the journey.
A beautiful full-day railway excursion aboard the Golden Pass (departure at 9:50 to be back at 17:15) that only takes place from May 2 to September 28 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Although it is included in the Swiss Travel Pass, if you want to ensure a spot by booking a seat in advance, there is a supplement.
Savoring Gruyères cheese
Your visit to Gruyères would be ‘incomplete’ without discovering the famous cheese that bears the name of this city. The best place to do so is La Maison du Gruyères, an outstanding cheese factory where you can watch live the manufacturing process of what was considered the best cheese in the world in 2022, specifically Le Gruyère AOP.
A curious museum where all your senses will be awakened through various interactive proposals, serving as a perfect complement to a visit to Gruyères. You will be given an audio guide in Spanish and the visit lasts about 40 minutes.
Keep in mind that La Maison du Gruyères is not located in the medieval town, but at the foot of the hill in Pringy, about a 10-minute walk away. After the visit, you can buy cheese in their shop or even stay for lunch in their restaurant.
Prices: Adults 7 CHF. Combined ticket with Gruyères Castle 16 CHF. Free with the Swiss Travel Pass.
The Moleson summit
It is only 2,000 meters high, which is not much for a country like Switzerland that boasts the Alps, like those in Interlaken with the Jungfrau, Eiger, and Mönch showing off. But even so, the Moléson is the most prominent peak in Gruyères and an ideal place to visit if you have time. If the weather is clear, you will have a beautiful photo of the Moleson from the medieval town with Gruyères Castle in front.
In winter, you can go skiing or sledding. In spring and summer, it is the perfect place for hiking, via ferratas, visiting mountain cheese dairies, going down an alpine slide, or letting the children play in their playground.
To go up, you have to go to Moléson-sur-Gruyères. You can reach it by car in ten minutes or on bus 263, which will be free if you have the Swiss Travel Pass. If you leave from the medieval town, you have to take bus 260 first and change to the 263 at Gruyères station. It will take half an hour at most.
Once there, to ascend to the summit first take the funicular to the station of Plan-Francey and there the cable car to the summit. If you want to go up the Moleson, I recommend staying at least one night in Gruyères to have time for everything.
Where to stay in Gruyères
In my case, I didn’t stay in Gruyères, but in Sion in an exchange house. However, it would have been very nice to be able to spend a night there to calmly enjoy the medieval town once the tourists leave. In case you decide to do so, here are a couple of options that look very good and are the ones I would have liked to choose:
–Gruyères Rooms In the heart of the medieval town, on the main street, you will find this three-star hotel with different types of rooms from €145, which is a very reasonable price for Switzerland. It has an associated restaurant and a shop where you can buy cheese.
– Charming Chalet If you are traveling as a family or in a group, this chalet at the foot of the Moleson is an ideal option to have more space, comfort, your own kitchen, and impressive views—even a barbecue!
Where to eat in Gruyères
Swiss gastronomy is not as varied as Spanish, but it has authentic gems that you should try. In Gruyères, where one of the best cheeses in the world is made, you should obviously try a dish made with it, and in this city, the most famous is the fondue moitié-moitié.
For this fondue, half Le Gruyère AOP cheese and half Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP cheese are used. With these two varieties, a fondue is created that is a true delight.
One of the most emblematic restaurants in Gruyères to try this fondue is the historic Le Chalet de Gruyères at rue du Bourg, 53. However, this historic wooden building suffered a fire in the summer of 2022 that forced it to close its doors until the summer of 2024 when its reopening is scheduled.
Until that time comes, they continue to serve some of their dishes at the restaurant La Table des Chevaliers of the Hotel de Gruyères, at Ruelle des Chevaliers 7.
If your visit to Gruyères coincides with the month of October, you might be lucky enough to go to a Bénichon, a traditional gastronomic festival that formerly had a religious and then secular character, and was related to giving thanks for the harvests. The Bénichon menu is quite complete, and one of its features is the brioche-style bread in the shape of a braid made with saffron, onto which a sweet and sour mustard is spread.
The Café des Remparts restaurant, in the center of Gruyères, next to the fountain, is one of the places where you can try this Bénichon menu, but only seasonally.
