Visiting Moléson - Gruyères

I started sharing my memories from the trip in Switzerland and France with posts about the beautiful Alsace region in France where we visited the Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg and Riquewihr. If you missed my posts you may see them here and here.

My Swiss friends being so very well organized have prepared a plan where to go each day. So, our next stop was the mountains - The Moléson, situated in the canton of Fribourg. The summit of the Moléson is towering over Gruyères, a place we visited earlier during our first trip in the Switzerland. If you bear with me till the end of the post, you will see more photos of that medieval town and castle and something more....

Part one - The Moléson

Now let's start our journey to the mountains, shall we? The map above shows where we were heading. Our starting point is near Basel and we were going southwest. Picture from the leafet.

Next few photos were taken during our ride from the car.

Switzerland is a country I fell in love the very first time I went there. Luckily apart from the two privite trips visiting my friends, I have again numerous business trips that let me see many times this wonderful country.

Anywhere you look, any place you see, it is just like a post card. Green pastures, alpine style houses and chalets, mountains overlooking neat villages,. And cows. Of course! Even on the road.

The famous Swiss cows, producing the best milk to make the famous cheese and chocolate.

Then we saw these happy goats curious as much as me.

Now, reaching our destination I would like to show the map of the mountain. Like self-respecting tourist I got leafets and brochures from the places I visited. It may be easier to find this map from internet, but I think it is better to click the leaflet. The same with the first photo.

Do you see the highest peak - Le Moléson, 2002 m above the sea level? There we were going. Up we used the funicular, a cable is pulling a car on a railway. That is what funicular means. But I do not remeber seeing a cable pulling the car.

Here it is.

Reaching the peak the panoramic view was breathtaking. You could see across the whole range of the Alps down to lake Geneva and over the region of Gruyères.

Yes, the view was great, but we have double pleasue by sitting on the terrrace of the restaurant on the peak with delicious fondue made of the finest Swiss cheese.
What a bliss! Fresh air, stunning panorama and yummy food. What else ine can wish for!

Me, after being fed and watered.

I bought post cards which give the idea how the dish look like. When I make the picture they were like 3d images.

So, here is the fondue

And another typical dish called raclette.

After having our meal it was time to go back. We used the cable car which also gives spectacular view.

Some attempts to photograph through the window of the cable car.

Part two - Gruyères

In the beginning I mentioned that I have been in this area before. The first time we stayed with our friends 15 years ago and they brought us to see the Gruyères - the town and the castle.

Another gem that makes you feel the time has stopped.
The castle is just in front. Not as big as the French Château du Haut-Kœnigsbourg but very neat and again with panorama view of the whole area. But before seeing that fantastic view have a look at those cosy restaurants.

And here in this one - Le Chalet we stopped for a lunch

The interior is better presented from this post card. Wooden tables and chairs, cow bells hanging on the beams, just the right atmosphere for having fondue. I tried to make a picture of the aprons hanging above and silly me I pointed the camera right to the light.

Now we are in the castle and I started shooting all the scenery around.

The coat of arms is seen on the flag and represents a crane.

Innner yard with neat garden, beautifully cut hedges.

I had no photos from inside the castle this time. But after the castle we had one more place to see. It is a must to go to the Cheese factory where the famous Gruyères cheese is produced. It is a museum at the same time.

On the wall - stages of production. Kids loved that. So did we.

As we were there at the time when the production has finished for the day, the premises and the gear were spotless clean and shiny.

Stored cheese to mature. I could not avoid the reflection on the window.

Oh, almost forgot. There was a sort of quiz where on a screen you have to answer few questions about how the cheese was made. When you did if well the happy cow appeared. Well done.

The whole process would never be so succesful without the lush pastures and we could not only see but smell the aroma of the herbs from those sticks in front of the wall.