Cheeses of Gruyères
A hilltop medieval town in Fribourg that gave its name to Gruyère, with a demonstration dairy below the walls.
Made, aged and sold here
Best time: June to September, when cheese is made on the alps.
Gruyères is a small walled town on a green hill in the canton of Fribourg, with a castle at the top of its single cobbled street. The mountains around it, the old county of Gruyère, gave their name to the great hard cheese made here since at least the twelfth century. Below the town, a demonstration dairy shows how the wheels are made.
Le Gruyère
Gruyère is made from raw cow's milk, heated, cut into fine curd, pressed into wheels and salted in brine. It ages for at least five months and up to well over a year, growing firmer and more savoury, with a few small crystals. It has no holes. Le Gruyère d'alpage is made only in summer on mountain pastures, in copper cauldrons over wood fires.
The town and its hills
The castle of Gruyères holds collections on the counts who ruled the area. The town also has a museum of the artist H. R. Giger. Double cream from the Gruyère hills, served with meringues, is a local dessert, and fondue made with Gruyère and Vacherin is the classic meal. Moléson, the mountain above, has summer trails and an alpine cheese dairy.
A trail idea for Gruyères
- Gruyères old town Walk the single street up to the castle.
- The demonstration dairy Watch Gruyère made from a gallery, below the town.
- A fondue Eat moitié-moitié fondue of Gruyère and Vacherin.
- Moléson Climb the mountain to summer pastures and an alpine dairy.
Written by the EveryCheese desk with AI assistance. Background: "Gruyères" on Wikipedia. Opening hours, markets, caves and tours change; check locally before travelling. If something is wrong, tell us.
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