Gruyeres

Three weekends ago (what?) I took a daytrip to Gruyeres. Yes, the land of the famous cheese, spelled without the "s." My guidebook described it as a fairytale place, and this charm shone through even the throngs of tourists gathered to admire it. It was a beautiful warm day, and I did what one is meant to do in Gruyeres: sit on a terrace and eat fondue, then visit the castle, and finally buy some cheese and meringues to take back home-- it was simple, really!

From the train station one ascends a curving path up the hill to arrive at the old town heart, a striking wide and long plaza paved with light-colored stones with a fountain in the center. The stone-paved plaza was lovely and gave the place a strong character; later I found out that it had until recently been paved in asphalt! It turns out that the archaeologist father of one of the other interns here worked on the recreation of the medieval character of the stone pavement! When I was there, I imagined that the plaza was a contemporary version of a bustling medieval village marketplace-- it was an incredibly active place.

There is a strong connection between Gruyeres and Rougemont; the Count of Gruyeres gave land in what is now Rougemont to Cluny monks in the 12th century to build a church there. While not the same structure, the church in Rougemont stands today, two minutes' walk from chez nous.

This is the crane (la grue), the heraldic symbol of the Count of Gruyeres, which also appears in Rougemont and neighboring towns like Chateau d'Oex.



Inside the castle