Gruyeres
A Medieval Walled Town On A Hill With Gruyeres Castle, Known For Gruyere Cheese, Double Cream With Meringues And The HR Giger Museum (The Alien Designer). Cars Are Banned From The Town Centre; The Maison Du Gruyere Dairy Shows Cheese Making, And The Cailler Chocolate Factory Is Nearby At Broc. · Gruyeres, Fribourg
Gruyeres is a medieval hilltop town in the canton of Fribourg, with a single cobbled street, a 13th-century castle and houses with geraniums in the window boxes. Cars are kept out of the centre, so you walk the old street from the gate to the castle in about ten minutes, stopping at cafes, cheese shops and small craft stalls on the way. The castle shows the rooms of the Counts of Gruyere and has gardens with views of the pre-Alps. The town also holds the HR Giger Museum, from the Swiss artist who designed the monster in the film Alien, and a Giger Bar. At the foot of the hill, La Maison du Gruyere dairy shows how the cheese is made. The honest picture is a pretty town you can see in an hour or two, with the museums and cheese making a half-day. It is touristy in summer, quiet after about 6 pm when the day trippers leave, and cold and quiet in winter. Try the double cream with meringues and a fondue before you go, take the train rather than a car, and pair the visit with the dairy and the chocolate factory.
Medieval hilltop town in the Fribourg Pre-Alps with a 13th-century castle, a single cobbled street, the HR Giger Museum and the Maison du Gruyere cheese dairy below, Gruyeres, Fribourg, Switzerland
The town street is open all day, all year. The castle, the Giger Museum and the dairy keep daily opening hours that shorten in winter, and some are CLOSED on certain days or holidays. The dairy shows cheese making only at set times in the morning and midday. Check opening times locally before you go.