Day trip to Gruyère's

Today I visited Gruyères in the Canton du Fribourg. I cannot express how incredible the car journey was. Every km we drove made me more and more sure that this is where I want to come back to in the future. The landscapes are spectacular; the fields were covered in snow and the trees were beautifully scattered around where the higher they were positioned the more snow they had on them.

When we finally arrived in Gruyères, parked the car at the bottom of the hill and made our way up on foot on a little snow trail. The medieval town of Gruyères is really an enchantment; it is probably one of the smallest villages I have seen in Switzerland (and probably in the rest of Europe). You enter from a medieval looking arch, and straight away can appreciate the most spectacular view over the mountains. The snow really contributes a beautiful touch to the landscapes. In my opinion, winter is the best season to visit this village because the snow coupled with medieval architecture really is something special.

The first thing we did when entering the village of Gruyères is the Castle. The castle of Gruyères first was property of the Counts of Gruyères however today is part of the Canton of Fribourg, and has been turned into a museum.

From this castle you also get a breath-taking view over the Swiss mountains, in particular the Dent du Chamois. Somehow time managed to fly and it was about 14. 00, therefore we stopped to have a bite to eat before heading out to the factories. A little place we found was called Café-Restaurant des Remparts, situated in the main village. It was a very sweet, traditional restaurant with an indoor terrace overlooking the mountains – talk about a restaurant with a view! There was a strong smell of raclette and fondue overpowering the restaurant but since I love cheese I did not mind this, it just made me want to order it –however I ended up choosing a cheese quiche whilst my friends ordered a toastie with Gruyere cheese and ham on top. The food was delicious, you can really taste the authenticity of the regional products, and in fact the cheese was directly taken from the factory down below! Our food went down a treat accompanied with a glass of white wine, which warmed us up for the exterior temperatures. The weather was touching -4, which was terribly cold.

After lunch we went for a little walk and I swear to god I could not be happier. Walking in the snow is the one my favourite things in the world; I could not be happier than I am when in the mountains – it gives me some sort of tranquillity that nowhere else does.

Once we arrived to the car we hopped out for a quick walk around the cheese factory “La Maison du Gruyères”. In this very fun and interactive tour you will be immersed into cheese making and the traditional methods.

Following from the cheese factory it was finally time for Maison Cailler. I cannot express the smell of chocolate that was radiating from inside to the outside – It is the strongest smell of chocolate I have ever smelt - it was gorgeous. Maison Cailler is one of the main landmarks of Gruyères and the factory itself is so iconic surrounded by white mountains in the background. To add a magical touch to our day it started snowing, which made the whole trip really look like a winter wonderland.

Before heading home we decided to return to a cute little artisan chocolate factory which is based at the end of Gruyères village called “Chocolaterie de Guyères artisanat et tradition”. As you walk in it is very small which makes it all the more intriguing. I ordered a hot chocolate, which the man made right in front of us with fresh chocolate powder. My friend ordered a passion fruit hot chocolate, which meant that he got given a glass of hot milk, and a passion fruit chocolate bar he had to melt in the milk. It was such a unique way of making hot chocolate; I was mesmerized. Compared to Maison Cailler this little chocolatier felt a lot more authentic. We also bought some little chocolate truffles which tasted like little balls of heaven – the chocolate was so strong and seeing where exactly it is made it all the more better. Furthermore the chocolatier proceeded to tell us the story behind the chocolate adding some very interesting facts which I would love to share with you:

• In 1879 Lindt invented the first ever machine for making chocolate. This machine really improved the taste of chocolate.
• Cailler invented the first dark chocolate bar. Unfortunately Mr. Cailler died before being able to see the milk chocolate bar.
• Nestlé invented the way of being able to make powdered milk.
• In 1875 the first ever milk chocolate was invented by Petard (who worked in Maison Cailler).
• The Mayas were the first to make hot chocolate. They invented the fermentation, roasting and drying the cocoa bean to make a liquid called Xchokoalt; which was used as a medicine. The Spaniards then modified the recipies and brought cacao in Europe. Cortés was the man who changed the recipe and the name, calling it Chocolate.

Finally after our little getaway it was time to return back to Geneva. I think that if you do happen to come to Switzerland, Gruyères is a day trip you must take, because it really does show you the traditional, authentic Switzerland. You see how and where the famous cheese is made and of course visit one of the most famous (and open to the public) Chocolate Factories in the world, tasting the most delicious chocolate.

To Do in Gruyères:

Chateau de Gruyères

The Chateau de Gruyères is a Swiss heritage site of national significance. It is a very important cultural site, which today holds a very important Museum of Swiss History, taking you on a historical journey of eight centuries of art, history and legends. The main treasure of this castle is the three capes of the Order of the Golden Fleece. The castle also holds some very beautiful art of the nineteenth century featuring many artists; in particular Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot and Barthélemy Menn. There are also some absolutely stunning French style gardens that are worth seeing.

Tickets cost 12 CHF for adults and 8CHF for students.

For more information on visiting the castle, view their website here.

Raclette in Café-Restaurant des Ramparts.

Stop for lunch in this little traditional restaurant and enjoy some authentic Gruyères raclette whilst sitting on an indoor terrace overlooking the alpine meadows.

Usine de Gruyères

In this cheese factory, around 48 wheels of Gruyères cheese is made per day.

Adult tickets start at 7 CHF and students 6CHF.

For more information, view thiswebsite.

Maison Cailler

Maison Cailler is basically a real life Charlie and the chocolate factory experience. You will be shown how chocolate is manufactured, you will understand the history behind this top chocolate brand and the best part of all, you will do some chocolate tasting. Also make sure you check the website before going as they are currently under reconstruction. Furthermore they host some activities for children such as chocolate making demonstrations and free visits. So click here to have a look at their full events.

Eglise Saint-Théodule

This little church is easy to miss, but it is a pleasant site to see since you are already in the Village. It has some very beautiful stained glass windows and a very modest interior.

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