Hike on the Chemin du Gruyère and visit to the chocolate factory

The word “pleasure hike” best describes how we fared on the approximately three-hour Chemin du Gruyère. Along the way, one culinary temptation follows the other and the hike also offers all kinds of other surprises. So our tour does not start with a strenuous ascent as usual, but with a detour to the show dairy “La Maison du Gruyère”. To avoid confusion below, a brief orthographic digression. The region is called la Gruyère – called Gruyère – and is spelled without an “s”. On the other hand, the pretty little town, which along with cheese is the flagship product of the region, is spelled with an “s” at the end – Gruyères.

Visit to the Maison du Gruyère

Here, right next to Gruyères train station, the legendary Gruyère AOP is produced. The traditional cheese is known far beyond Switzerland’s borders and owes its taste to the high-quality milk from cows from the region and the craftsmanship that has been passed down from master cheesemaker to master cheesemaker for generations. We sit down behind the large glass pane of the show dairy and watch the hustle and bustle. It’s not quite as exciting as on an alp at the Maison du Gruyère. Everything is fully automated. Nevertheless, the interactive exhibition around the show dairy offers exciting insights into the world of cheese production. Did you know, for example, that a cow eats 100 kg of grass and drinks 85 liters of water per day?

After a look into the cheese cellar, we finally get on our socks. It’s almost noon and we’ve barely made any progress. The picturesque town of Gruyères has a few metres of altitude to overcome. Gruyères, with its cobbled streets and magnificent castle, was the perfect postcard backdrop. Most of the time it is bustling with visitors, but if you have a little more time, you can enjoy the charm of Gruyères in peace and quiet during the off-peak hours. Shortly before the castle, the hiking trail branches off to the right in the direction of the church. Depending on your mood, you can take a detour to the castle or take a look at the imaginative art of HR Giger in his museum.

We leave Gruyères behind us and walk through lush green pastures, where the cows fill their bellies. We cross the Sarine on a wooden bridge and slowly approach Broc. Shortly after the viewpoint at the chapel of the Marches, one of these black-and-white spotted Fribourg cows suddenly stands in our way. She probably escaped from the pasture because the grass on the other side seemed even juicier. The cow lady stands directly in front of the panoramic view of the castle of Gruyères, behind whose mighty walls the town hides and the local mountain Moléson. With the picture in the box, we march on happily. Sometimes it’s just a cliché Switzerland, isn’t it?

Maison Cailler – Visit to the chocolate factory

While we’re on the subject of clichés, chocolate is of course one of them. If, like us, you feel a slight feeling of hunger at the height of Broc, you can turn left after crossing the Jaunbach stream in the direction of Maison Cailler. The chocolate tradition has been alive in Broc since 1898. The origins of Swiss milk chocolate and fine pralines are closely linked to Broc, the Cailler family and the inventor of milk chocolate, Daniel Peter. At Maison Cailler, you can immerse yourself in the sweet world of chocolate on a one-hour tour. In the first half, it is vividly told how the cocoa bean found its way to Gruyère. The second part is all about today’s production and where the different ingredients come from. At the very end, we are allowed to try our way through Cailler’s range of chocolates. For an entrance fee of 10 CHF (children up to 16 years of age are free) this is an enjoyable stopover and in the factory shop you can stock up on all kinds of chocolate afterwards – but beware, you have to carry it all up to Charmey yourself.

Hiking on the Chemin du Gruyère

Unfortunately, the most spectacular section of the trail to Broc through the Jaunbach gorge is temporarily closed. As an alternative route, the hiking trail via Châtel is recommended. It climbs steeply at first and crosses some pastures, where the farmers are obviously not so friendly towards the hikers. We crawl under fences and finally reach the viewpoint at the ruins of Montsalvens. The path then leads along side roads through the elongated village of Châtel-sur-Montsalvens until you can see the lake of the same name. Once at the level of the lake, the hiking trail descends towards the shore.

This route variant is also worth the additional detour to the Buvette Chez Boudji, which is located on a plateau south of the Lac de Montsalvens. We’ve had some cheese and chocolate first, so it’s high time to get something hearty between our teeth. A cheese slice or fondue is the best way to enjoy the magnificent view over the region.

The last stage of the trail leads us in a steady up and down along the shore of the Lac de Montsalvens and as the last highlight follows a suspension bridge shortly before Charmey, which brings us dry feet over the narrow side arm of the lake.

If your calves are pinching after the three hours, it’s best to head straight to the Bains de la Gruyère in the centre of the village of Charmey. With the surprisingly modern design, the architect has skilfully integrated the foothills of the Alps into the baths, creating transparency between the interior and exterior. Single admission for three hours costs 26 CHF. Bath towels can be rented for 6 CHF and an additional deposit of 20 CHF (I couldn’t help but smile at this point). So we end our hike along the Chemin du Gruyère into the pleasantly warm sparkling water, let the sun shine on our faces and meanwhile we are already dreaming of our next stay in la Gruyère.

More information and tips on the Chemin du Gruyère

The map shows the route of the Chemin du Gruyère. The route is about 12 km long and includes an ascent of 450 meters and a descent of about 300 meters in altitude. The pure runtime is about 3.5 hours (comfortable). As an alternative to the Jaunbach gorge, the trail can be walked via Châtel-sur-Montsalvens, where you pass the ruins of Montsalvens. The starting point in Gruyères can be reached by train from Bulle. There are regular bus connections in Charmey – either directly to Fribourg or with a change in Bulle.

Übernachtungstipps für la Gruyère:

• Hôtel de Gruyères (Rlle des Chevaliers 1) just outside the old town
• Hotel le Sapin in the centre of the village of Charmey

In both hotels you can enjoy meringues with Gruyèz double cream for breakfast!

Note: This stay was supported by La Gruyère Tourisme. Thank you very much for this! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.