Things to Do in Gruyères
Of course you can’t leave town without sampling some of the town’s namesake cheese and the best way to discover the secrets of Gruyères cheese is with a visit to La Maison du Gruyère. Part factory, part museum, this is one of the town’s top attractions, where you can watch traditional cheese making methods, enjoy free samples or dig into Gruyères Fondue at the on-site restaurant.
The pre-Alpine town of Gruyères is best known as the home of Switzerland’s most famous cheese. The town’s working show dairy, La Maison du Gruyère, educates visitors on the region’s traditional and modern cheese-making through an interactive exhibition and factory tours, which include ample opportunity to savor a taste of authentic Gruyère AOP.
What do Swiss cheese and Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise have in common? The pre-Alpine town of Gruyères is not only home to the famous hard cheese, but also the HR Giger Museum (Musée HR Giger. Opened by the late Swiss artist himself, the museum offers an immersive experience of his surreal, sci-fi-infused artwork and set designs.
The picturesque little village of Gruyères is best known the world over for its cheese manufacture but it is also home to two very different museums: one is the slightly sinister HR Giger Museum, full of SciFi models and paintings. The village’s second revelation is right next door; the Tibet Museum specializes in spectacular historic art from the Himalayan region and is tucked away in the renovated Chapel of St Joseph in Gruyères’ medieval heart.
Founded in 2009, the Tibet Museum showcases Buddhist iconography, textiles, gleaming golden statuettes and ritual artifacts that were lovingly collected over 30 years by Alain Bordier. Displayed in half-light to a background of serene music, the antique furniture and decorative pieces are of the highest quality from across Himalayan Asia, with many more than 1,500 years old.