The arrival of the train is at the foot of the hill that hosts the village of Gruyères at its summit. From the station, a postal bus (they are yellow) takes you to the entrance of the village. You can also use the small path that, in less than 10 minutes, will take you to the same place, with the joy of having been just a little sportier.
Getting there
In Switzerland, I will always advise you to take the train, it is the most efficient and pleasant way to travel, but unfortunately it is not the cheapest without a half-fare travelcard.
Arrived at the station of Gruyères, buses (paying) or a path take you to the village.
The Village
The village is limited to a main street lined with pretty restaurants, hotels and shops.
You will eat well, but obviously with Swiss “tourist” rates. I did not see totally crazy rates as in other tourist destinations: Gruyères remains an affordable family destination.
The castle: the bad experience
I arrived at the castle with my backpack, small size, and my phone mounted on a DJI Osmo Mobile stabilizer. The same equipment that I use everywhere else in the world without problem.
One of the people at the reception, after charging my credit card, told me that I could not use my stabilizer and that I had to carry my backpack in front of me!
The information boards indicated the prohibition of dogs and drones, but in no case the prohibition of stabilizers or the obligation to carry one’s backpack in front of oneself.
So, I had to deal with a very zealous, or more likely moody, employee who made her own rules.
The Covid episode, after the whining of tourism stakeholders, did not succeed in changing bad Swiss habits, which unfortunately quickly reappeared.
I got my ticket refunded and left. Bye Bye the castle…
H.R. Giger Museum : The Day Saved
H.R. Giger is a Swiss artist that the whole world discovered with the release of Ridley Scott’s film “Alien, the 8th passenger“. Giger had a work before Alien, but after the film the spotlight on the artist was enormous, as his biomechanical creature fascinated the public.
Giger, German-speaking, setting up a museum of his work in a small medieval village in the canton of Fribourg seemed like a far-fetched idea. I visited it and found it exciting.
Alien preparation sketches, paintings, sculptures, you will find the whole universe of Giger.
WARNING : Giger’s work is sometimes erotic. A clearly delimited part of the exhibition is reserved for an adult audience.
In brief
If you are between Lausanne and Bern, I recommend the old town of Fribourg and the village of Gruyères. It’s a shame that some tourism players in Switzerland, outside of high-end sites, did not question themselves after the Covid episode…
Ciao!
