What is Gruyères known for?
Cheese is the obvious answer! But there was so much more to our visit than the factory tour. We enjoyed the countryside and the views and seeing the hilltop old town with the medieval castle.
TIP: When you leave the factory to head up the hill, take the path to the right because it has better views. I took a picture, of course.
Travel Notes
What to See
Tour La Maison de Gruyère
It does not take long, maybe fifteen minutes, to look at all the exhibits. The museum wraps around the factory floor, where you can see the cheese being made; watching the production process takes another few minutes. We were there less than 30 minutes, and then another 10 minutes in the gift shop buying a cowbell and some postcards. With the tour, you receive a small sample of three cheeses of various ages; the oldest is the best!
The short walk to town had plenty of chances for photos ops. Joe and I take lots of bad selfies as we travel to share with our family.
Gruyères Castle
It was built in 1270 or so and was kept in the family until Count Michel of Gruyères went bankrupt in 1554. The castle went into receivership and was taken over as a government building by the Fribourgs. Afterwards, it served various purposes until it was turned into a museum in 1938.
Museums
HR Giger Museum
Wow! This guy has a lot going on in his brain, and it’s very disturbing. The Swiss Flex Pass includes admission to the museum, so we didn’t have to pay anything extra to go through. His art appeals to a certain niche; I was horrified. Most of it was hyper-sexualized in an industrial way, but there was an adult-only room of erotica that was even more explicit. My favorite part was the views from the windows; the views were gorgeous.
Where to Eat
There were lots of outdoor cafes in the town specializing in fondue. Unfortunately, it was unbearably hot during our visit, so we went back down the hill from the old town and ate in the restaurant at the factory because it was somewhat air-conditioned. As a result, I can only give you a little on the restaurant scene in the old part of town. Sorry. The factory restaurant was fine.
Getting There
The train is an excellent option if you don’t have a car! We activated our pass and took the train from Lausanne to spend a day in Gruyères. It was easy and comfortable and took less than 90 minutes; we loved traveling on the trains in Switzerland. The Swiss Flex Pass covered our transportation and museum visits for 15 days of our three weeks in Switzerland.
READ MORE: Using the Swiss SBB Transportation App and Choosing the Right Swiss Pass
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