Gruyères: a sweet heart of chocolate and double cream

Not far from the mildness of Lake Geneva and at the foot of the Fribourg Alps is the capital of the ancient county of Gruyères, which was an extreme Savoy outpost before being ceded to the neighbouring Swiss cantons by the last count. A mysterious, sometimes eccentric figure, he had such a regal lifestyle that he went into debt to maintain the splendour of his court. Despite his attempts to mint money and the help of phantom alchemists, his sovereign ambitions remained unfulfilled: he fell into disgrace in 1555 and his possessions were dismembered between his main creditors, the cities of Bern and Fribourg, sanctioning the definitive passage of the whole county of Gruyères from the influence of the House of Savoy (later to become the Royal House of Italy) to neutral Switzerland. The former capital of this domain became the exclusive possession of Fribourg, which installed its bailiffs there for almost three centuries.

The fortified core still fascinates the visitor who, having to leave his car at the foot of the hill, climbs it on foot, immediately immersing himself in an atmosphere of medieval flavour. The centrepiece of the village is the Rue du Bourg, ennobled by precious paving and lined with old houses, some in Gothic-Renaissance style, towers and bastions defending the village. It is lined with numerous restaurants and cheese shops that invite you to taste the famous meringues with double cream, the famous Groviera cheese or the fondue motié-motié.

Along this central street, you reach the romantic castle, the oldest part of which dates back to the 12th century. Today, it is transformed into a museum illustrating eight centuries of regional architecture, history and culture. Inside, the rooms feature late Renaissance and Baroque furnishings, tapestries and ceramics from Sarreguemines. Some of the most significant rooms include the Knights’ Hall, the Hunting Hall and finally the most prissy one in the Rococo style, with large decorations by the artist J-B C. Corot who was a guest, like F. Liszt, of the then owners, the Bovy family. From the patrol path,there is a splendid view of the French garden and the surrounding area.

Decidedly less historic, but undoubtedly special, is the museum of the Swiss visionary and Oscar winner HR Giger, art director of the film Alien, which can be found on the way out of the castle. Leaving the village, one notices the church of St Theodul, initially erected by Count Rodolphe III.

From a gastronomic point of view, the Gruyère region is not only emblematic of the cheese of the same name but is also home to the famous Cailler chocolate factory, a master of Swiss confectionery tradition and art. You can visit the production facilities of this Swiss excellence for an all-around culinary experience. To recover from these intense emotions, there is nothing better than a trip up Mount Moleson or a walk across the meadows to the neighbouring villages, such as Grandvillard, which, together with Gruyères, is part of the ‘Most Beautiful Villages in Switzerland’ network.