Private Gruyères Castle, Cheese & Chocolate Tour from Montreux

The medieval village of Gruyères

Gruyères stands on a green hill at about 800 m, surrounded by pastures and the limestone peaks of the Pre-Alps. Cars stay in the car parks below, so you enter on foot through the old gate onto a single cobbled main street lined with 15th- and 16th-century houses, painted shutters, flower boxes and a fountain at its centre. The village gave its name to the cheese and to the whole surrounding district.

A private Gruyères tour lets you arrive before the coaches and enjoy the quiet street at its best. Your driver-host explains how the counts of Gruyère ruled these valleys for centuries and how the region lived from cattle and cheese. Take time for photos, a meal at your own expense and the shops of local crafts; vegetarian dishes and cheese specialities are easy to find, while halal food is limited.

Gruyères Castle, an optional visit

At the top of the village, Gruyères Castle has watched over the region since the 13th century. It was the seat of the counts of Gruyère until the last count went bankrupt in 1554, after which the castle passed to the bailiffs of Fribourg. In the 19th century new owners restored it and welcomed painters, who decorated several rooms, and today it is a museum covering eight centuries of history.

If you choose to go in, entry is paid on the spot and the visit takes about an hour: knights' hall, tapestries, furnished rooms, a multimedia show and French-style gardens on the ramparts with wide views over the hills. Is Gruyères Castle worth visiting? For history and the panorama from its terraces, yes; your driver-host builds the time into the day if you wish.

Gruyère cheese and the show dairy

Gruyère cheese has been made in this region since at least the 12th century and today carries a protected designation of origin. It takes around 400 litres of raw cow's milk to make a single wheel of about 35 kilograms, which is then salted and turned by hand or machine for five months to more than a year in cool cellars, developing its nutty flavour.

At the foot of the village hill, a show dairy lets visitors watch cheesemakers at work through large windows and follow an audio guide on how the cheese is made; entry is at your own expense if you wish to visit. Your driver-host can also stop in the countryside where cows graze, and in summer you may see herds high on the alpine pastures, moved up and down the mountains by local farmers.

The chocolate factory in Broc

A few minutes from Gruyères, the small town of Broc has had a chocolate factory since 1898, built on the banks of the river here because the region's rich milk was perfect for milk chocolate. Your entry ticket is included, and the visit leads through interactive rooms on the history of cocoa, the journey of the beans and the Swiss inventions that made chocolate smooth and creamy.

You then watch part of the production and finish with a generous tasting of different chocolates, included in the tour; it is a favourite stop for children and adults alike. Allow about one to one and a half hours, plus time for the shop. Chocolate factory opening hours vary by season and the visit can be busy at weekends, so your driver-host plans the best time.

The Moléson mountain area

The day continues to Moléson-sur-Gruyères, a small resort at about 1,100 m at the foot of Moléson, the 2,002 m peak that dominates the Gruyère landscape. On a clear day the meadows around the village already give fine views over the hills and the castle on its rock.

If you want to go higher, a funicular climbs to Plan-Francey and a cable car continues to the summit, paid on the spot. From the top the view sweeps over Lake Geneva, the Jura, the Bernese Alps and, in very clear weather, Mont Blanc. The best time to visit Gruyères and Moléson is from May to October, when the pastures are green and lifts run regularly; mountain views are never guaranteed. Then your driver brings you back to your hotel.