Gruyères is a charming medieval village in the idyllic countryside of western Switzerland. It’s a lovely place for a short stroll and lots of picture taking, with the surrounding mountains a beautiful backdrop. We always combine this village with a visit to the nearby Maison de Gruyères dairy and Cailler Chocolate Factory.
At the far end of the village, you’ll find picturesque Castle of Gruyères, built in the 13th century, with a small museum.
If you have time, we suggest stopping for lunch at one of the outdoor cafes to try traditional Swiss dishes, including fondue. At a minimum, you must try their signature dessert of meringue dipped in Gruyères double cream, served in a wooden bowl.
| Location: | Friboung region, Western Switzerland |
| Address: | Route de la Cité 100, 1663 Gruyères |
| Car: | Metered parking just outside village From Montreux 35 mins, Lausanne 45 mins, Bern 50 mins, Interlaken 1h30 |
| Train: | Gruyères train station + 10 min walk or Gruyères, ville bus stop From Montreux or Lausanne 1h15, Bern 1h20, from Interlaken 2h40 |
| Services: | cafes and shops in city center |
| More Info: | www.la-gruyere.ch |
How to get there
Gruyères is located in the Fribourg region of western Switzerland, north of Montreux.
By public transport:
The Gruyères train station is just below the village, next to the Gruyères cheese dairy. From Montreux or Lausanne 1h15, Bern 1h20, from Interlaken 2h40
From the train station, it’s about a 10 min walk uphill to the village center. To save yourself the walk, you can ride the bus to Gruyères, ville, which drops in the parking lot.
By car:
There are three big parking lots just outside the village at Route de la Cité 100, 1663 Gruyères. From Montreux 35 mins, Lausanne 45 mins, Bern 50 mins, Interlaken 1h30
Chocolate train:
If you’d like an easy packaged tour, you can visit Gruyères via the “Chocolate Train” tour from Montreux. The tour includes a train ride to the area (Montbovon), then a charter bus to the Gruyères cheese factory, Gruyères village, and Cailler chocolate factory. The fee includes entrance to cheese factory and chocolate factory, but not the Gruyères castle.
Photo story
Walking up to the village
If you have arrived by train or just finished your visit at the Gruyere cheese dairy, it’s quickest to walk up to the village instead of waiting for the bus. Just cross the train tracks and follow the walking path next to the road.
Gruyeres is one of the official “most beautiful villages in Switzerland.”
In May, the fields around the village are bursting with flowers.
You’ll see this sign showing a little map of the city. But it’s so small, it’s not really necessary.
The walking path is uphill but not too difficult and only 10 mins.
One of the gates into the village.
Entering the inner walls.
Gruyeres village
The village is tiny, just one cobblestone lane within the fortress walls, lined with the attractive facades of shops, hotels, and residences.
Looking the opposite direction, with some mountains in view.
Adorable buildings in town.
Since there’s no traffic through the village, it’s a safe place for the kids to run around.
The countryside around the town.
You can walk on some of the rampants but they aren’t super well fenced, so be careful.
Castle
At the far end of the village, you’ll find picturesque Castle of Gruyères, built in the 13th century. Just below the castle, you can collect another “Grand Tour” photo.
Even if you aren’t visiting the castle museum, walk up to the entrance, so you get this nice view of the church and mountains.
For a fee, you can explore the castle interior, museum, and grounds, learning through an “enhanced reality” audio guide on your phone. They also have tours designed for children to make the visit more fun.
What to eat
If you have time, we suggest stopping for lunch at one of the outdoor cafes to try traditional Swiss dishes, including fondue. We usually eat at Gruyère Traditions, which has patio seating in the village and in back with mountain views. If it’s a cold day, the interior is very cozy with stone walls and timber ceilings.
At a minimum, you must try this region’s signature dessert of meringue dipped in Gruyères double cream, served in a wooden bowl. It came with two long meringue cookies and a pot of very thick unsweetened cream. You dip the meringue into the cream and take a bite. You can also get the Gruyère cream over raspberries.
If you are short on time, you can buy a box of meringue and pot of double cream to go at one of the shops and have a picnic later. We did that on our last visit and we couldn’t have been happier. Plus it was cheaper than the restaurant and fun to share. We got ours at
HR Gieger Museum
It’s not really my vibe, but some visitors enjoy visiting the HR Gieger museum, showing the fantastical, often shocking and sexual, art of H.R. Gieger, artist involved with the “Alien” movie.
Even if you don’t go to the museum, definitely peek into the Gieger bar, elaborated decorated with skeletal elements on the ceiling, furniture and floor.
