Gruyere, Switzerland
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 10
Gruyere, Switzerland
Hello! I will be going to Gruyere for a few days later this month, and I haven't been able to find much specifically on the region in any previous posts. I was wondering if anyone has been before and has any advice as to where to eat and stay, and if there are any activities we absolutely must do! For now we are going off of the Gruyeres tourism website, which is actually very nice compared to most. Also, we will be going to the region from Bern, and leaving through Lausanne - is it best to go by train or bus or ? Thanks!!
#2
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, KL/AF Ivory
Posts: 1,874
For all your transport needs in Switzerland use the railways website, http://www.cff.ch. It will include all relevant types of transport, rail, but also buses, boats, mountain railways, if they're needed.
Bern to Gruyres is nice, but I wouldn't do anything too fancy (though if you have time, Fribourg is very attractive). From Gruyres to Lausanne, go the long way round using the MOB which takes you through the mountains to Montreux (on the cff website just put via Montreux to get a schedule for that itinerary).
Gruyres is a bit kitsch but does it rather well. Go to the cheese factory at the bottom of hill by the station. Plenty of restaurants in the village which is very touristy.
Bern to Gruyres is nice, but I wouldn't do anything too fancy (though if you have time, Fribourg is very attractive). From Gruyres to Lausanne, go the long way round using the MOB which takes you through the mountains to Montreux (on the cff website just put via Montreux to get a schedule for that itinerary).
Gruyres is a bit kitsch but does it rather well. Go to the cheese factory at the bottom of hill by the station. Plenty of restaurants in the village which is very touristy.
#3
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: (not Montana. Nor is my name really Helena, nor am I female)
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I must say that for someone named "bread&cheese," Gruyeres seems to be an apropos destination! I might've thought you lived there already.
There's also a chocolate factory in nearby Broc that offers tours of the factory. At the end of the tour there's a sample tasting which, if I remember correctly, was "all you can eat." Of course it's pretty rich, so "all you can eat" turns out to be not that much, really. But it's sort of a fantasy dream for many chocolate lovers, so maybe worth the drive over.
There's also a chocolate factory in nearby Broc that offers tours of the factory. At the end of the tour there's a sample tasting which, if I remember correctly, was "all you can eat." Of course it's pretty rich, so "all you can eat" turns out to be not that much, really. But it's sort of a fantasy dream for many chocolate lovers, so maybe worth the drive over.
#4
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Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,378
definitely worth a stop at Broc for the chocolate factory (although you don't really see any production).
In Gruyere, you'll want to see 2 cheese factories: the modern "demonstration" factory in town, and the traditional factory in the nearby mountain hamlet.
Gruyere town is nice as well. Try to visit in the evening after the tourist hordes are gone.
In Gruyere, you'll want to see 2 cheese factories: the modern "demonstration" factory in town, and the traditional factory in the nearby mountain hamlet.
Gruyere town is nice as well. Try to visit in the evening after the tourist hordes are gone.
#5
So glad I found this thread! We are arriving into GVA at 4:30pm and leaving out of ZRH at 4:30pm the next day. I'm a Gruyere cheese addict, and my wife is a chocoholic, so visiting Gruyeres and surrounding area was just a given.
I want to see the cheese making demo, and my wife would love to do the factory tour. We'll have a rental car.
How much time should I allot to visiting the Gruyere region to achieve our goals? Should we spend the night in Gruyere, given our timing? The rest of the time we'll be using to visit places like Lausanne, Vevey, Zurich, but those are secondary.
As a bonus... anywhere we can go to pet a cow and take a picture?
I want to see the cheese making demo, and my wife would love to do the factory tour. We'll have a rental car.
How much time should I allot to visiting the Gruyere region to achieve our goals? Should we spend the night in Gruyere, given our timing? The rest of the time we'll be using to visit places like Lausanne, Vevey, Zurich, but those are secondary.
As a bonus... anywhere we can go to pet a cow and take a picture?
#6
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: CLE
Programs: UA Gold, HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 3,647
So glad I found this thread! We are arriving into GVA at 4:30pm and leaving out of ZRH at 4:30pm the next day. I'm a Gruyere cheese addict, and my wife is a chocoholic, so visiting Gruyeres and surrounding area was just a given.
I want to see the cheese making demo, and my wife would love to do the factory tour. We'll have a rental car.
How much time should I allot to visiting the Gruyere region to achieve our goals? Should we spend the night in Gruyere, given our timing? The rest of the time we'll be using to visit places like Lausanne, Vevey, Zurich, but those are secondary.
As a bonus... anywhere we can go to pet a cow and take a picture?
I want to see the cheese making demo, and my wife would love to do the factory tour. We'll have a rental car.
How much time should I allot to visiting the Gruyere region to achieve our goals? Should we spend the night in Gruyere, given our timing? The rest of the time we'll be using to visit places like Lausanne, Vevey, Zurich, but those are secondary.
As a bonus... anywhere we can go to pet a cow and take a picture?
I assume you'll want to turn the rental car in around 3, so there isn't a lot of time to see too much, but then you'll have an idea where you want to spend more time when you return.
#7
Join Date: May 2006
Location: GVA
Programs: BA Gold, LH FTL, KL/AF Ivory
Posts: 1,874
You're not going to be able to do much other than see Gruyre itself and the Cailler chocolate factory in Broc in the time available. I would suggest spending the night in Montreux or in the Gruyre, Broc area. You will need to leave the area at 12 to 12:30 at the latest to get to Zurich in time.
#8
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Helvetia
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Posts: 2,902
Gruyre is pretty tiny. It's basically just the castle. It's pretty nice though. What time of the year are you going to be visiting? If you're visiting in the next couple of weeks you should be fine, and it will be light out into the evening. Though, by the time you get out of the airport and to Gruyre, it'll probably be close to 7PM.
Traffic can get bad between Bern and Zrich, so you'll want to heed catandmouse's advice and get an early start to Zrich if you stay in Montreux. Or you could go have a quick look at Gruyre on your way to Zrich and spend the night in either Zrich or Luzern.
You don't have a lot of time, but you'll still manage to see some nice countryside. It's a nice place here in Switzerland.
Traffic can get bad between Bern and Zrich, so you'll want to heed catandmouse's advice and get an early start to Zrich if you stay in Montreux. Or you could go have a quick look at Gruyre on your way to Zrich and spend the night in either Zrich or Luzern.
You don't have a lot of time, but you'll still manage to see some nice countryside. It's a nice place here in Switzerland.
#9
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
So glad I found this thread! We are arriving into GVA at 4:30pm and leaving out of ZRH at 4:30pm the next day. I'm a Gruyere cheese addict, and my wife is a chocoholic, so visiting Gruyeres and surrounding area was just a given.
I want to see the cheese making demo, and my wife would love to do the factory tour. We'll have a rental car.
How much time should I allot to visiting the Gruyere region to achieve our goals? Should we spend the night in Gruyere, given our timing? The rest of the time we'll be using to visit places like Lausanne, Vevey, Zurich, but those are secondary.
As a bonus... anywhere we can go to pet a cow and take a picture?
I want to see the cheese making demo, and my wife would love to do the factory tour. We'll have a rental car.
How much time should I allot to visiting the Gruyere region to achieve our goals? Should we spend the night in Gruyere, given our timing? The rest of the time we'll be using to visit places like Lausanne, Vevey, Zurich, but those are secondary.
As a bonus... anywhere we can go to pet a cow and take a picture?
Now depending of what you want to see the evening before....
- if a city: montreux or vevey and spend a night nearby in le mirador. It's expensive but really nice. I think there should be a discount voucher somewhere on the web.
- otherwise if in the mountains, you could go up the molson, have a fondue up there and sleep there (something basic) on the way down with the cablecar for example. In this case you'll probably get nice pictures of cows depending which season you're going to be there.
In both cases, you're about 30 min from the cheese factory away.
#10
Great info, thanks everyone. I ended up booking an Airbnb in Bulle so that we'll be right there where we want to be when we wake up. We may stop in Vevey for dinner on the way, unless someone has a recommendation on their favorite restaurant serving moitie-moitie fondue, anywhere on the path from GVA to Bulle and surrounding area.
Bonus points for a place meringues/double cream... never had and very interested.
<drool....>
Bonus points for a place meringues/double cream... never had and very interested.
<drool....>
#11
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Helvetia
Programs: AS; BA Silver; UA; HH Diamond; Sprngli Connaisseur
Posts: 2,902
Great info, thanks everyone. I ended up booking an Airbnb in Bulle so that we'll be right there where we want to be when we wake up. We may stop in Vevey for dinner on the way, unless someone has a recommendation on their favorite restaurant serving moitie-moitie fondue, anywhere on the path from GVA to Bulle and surrounding area.
Bonus points for a place meringues/double cream... never had and very interested.
<drool....>
<drool....>
#12
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 8,142
Do not leave Gruyre without having their signature dessert, meringues and creme. I've traveled back there 3 or 4 times just for that. We drive.
In Lausanne, it would be nice if you were there on a Wednesday or Saturday, their market days and a terrific market it is. There's a wonderful little chocolate store, Blondel, on rue de bourg. I learned about this shop from another FTer and it is excellent chocolate.
Bobette
In Lausanne, it would be nice if you were there on a Wednesday or Saturday, their market days and a terrific market it is. There's a wonderful little chocolate store, Blondel, on rue de bourg. I learned about this shop from another FTer and it is excellent chocolate.
Bobette
Last edited by b1513; Sep 7, 2015 at 8:25 pm Reason: Added last paragraph
#13
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 8,142
Bobette
#15
Join Date: May 2013
Location: GVA, BSL, ZRH
Programs: A3*, HH, club carlson: all gold and bonvoy plat
Posts: 466
If you wanna enjoy a moiti-moiti (or pure vacherin ) and the meringue double crme up in the mountains near les paccots on your way to gruyres, this one is a good bet until sept/oct (before the snow makes it impossible to reach by car).
NB: since it's more known by locals, they may not speak english (at all !) quite well.
NB: since it's more known by locals, they may not speak english (at all !) quite well.
Last edited by Artemio; Sep 8, 2015 at 12:43 am