Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast Episode 22 Transcript

Scenic and culinary highlights of Canton Fribourg (including Gruyères)

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.

Announcer

Welcome to the Holidays to Switzerland Travel podcast. Your host is the founder of HolidaysToSwitzerland.com and the Switzerland travel planning facebook group, Carolyn Schönafinger. On this podcast, Carolyn will be joined by a variety of guests who share their knowledge and love of the country to help you plan your dream to Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Along with cows and mountains, chocolate and cheese are synonymous with Switzerland. And today we’re going to be speaking about one of the villages that is quite famous in Switzerland for its chocolate and cheese production. But it’s not only the village that we’re going to discuss. My guest, Lisa Nyffeler, is from Fribourg Tourism. Fribourg is the canton in which the famous little village of Gruyeres is located. And so Lisa’s going to join me today and chat not only about the famous village of Gruyere, but also some of the other wonderful places that we should visit in the canton. And let me tell you, this is a culinary lover’s delight. There’s so many delicious foods and even organic wines to try in the area that it really is a must visit place. Let’s welcome Lisa and hear what she’s got to tell us today. Hi, Lisa. Thank you very much for being on the show today. Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and your background in the tourism industry in Switzerland and what you do in your current role?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, of course. Thank you very much, Carolyn. And thank you for the opportunity to invite your listeners on a journey to Switzerland, more precisely to the canton of Fribourg. I have been working in the tourism industry in Switzerland for almost six years, and during that time I have worked at our national tourism board, Switzerland Tourism, and its sister company, Switzerland Travel Centre. And in 2019, I even got the chance to work for Switzerland Tourism in Sydney for half a year. So I must say I fell in love with Australia and I cannot wait to get back to visit my friends there as soon as the situation allows for it. And in the meantime, I’m going to stay in Switzerland, in Fribourg, where I am working since I got back from Australia for one of the Swiss holiday regions, namely the canton of Fribourg, where I am in charge of the French and the Spanish market.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Wonderful. So for those listeners who aren’t familiar with the canton of Fribourg, I hope I’m pronouncing that correctly, my French is not that great. Can you explain where it is and tell us some of the unique characteristics of the canton?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, of course. The canton of Fribourg is situated in the western part of Switzerland. It can be reached in under 2 hours by train from the Geneva airport or from the Zurich airport. And I would say what is the most unique about the canton of Fribourg is its diversity and its authenticity. So I often refer to this region of Fribourg as the mini Switzerland, since you can get all of the Swiss. And whatever you think of, if you think Switzerland in this region. You get small boutique towns, crystal clear lakes and picturesque alpine landscapes all in one region on a quite small territory. And speaking of cliches, we are also the region for cheeses and chocolates, namely of the famous Gruyeres cheese and of the oldest chocolate factory of Switzerland, which is still operative today. But I think we will talk a bit more about that later on.

Carolyn Schönafinger

I think we’d better now. Which languages are spoken in the canton of Fribourg?

Lisa Nyffeler

So Fribourg is a bilingual canton, meaning that there is German and French spoken. And you will also find it as a melting pot of the German and the French culture that we have in Switzerland. As maybe some of you might know, we have four languages in Switzerland. We have German, French, Italian and Romansch. And so in Fribourg, you really already get two of these languages. So we really got the best of it all in one region. And visitors can really experience both languages, but also both cultures in our region.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Okay. And speaking of the culture, in episode 18, I chatted with Andreas Frey from Appenzeller Tourism, and he chatted about some of the traditions and the customs that are still practised in that region today. What are the customs and traditions that are still practised in Fribourg canton?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes. So we really are a canton of the traditions. They are very important to us. They are living traditions that we still practise today. So, for instance, as I briefly mentioned before, we are the region where the Gruyeres cheese is from. And so this cheese typically is made by cheesemakers up in the Alps. This is where they keep their cows, where the cows can graze on the fresh herbs of the Alps. And this gives the excellent taste of the cheese. So one of the traditions actually is in the spring when the cheesemakers go up to the mountains with their cows, to the alpine huts. This is called the Poya, it’s spelled Poya. And it really is the event when they take their cows up where they stay for the whole summer until mid September. And this tradition of Poya is also something that is reflected in the so called poya paintings, which are traditional paintings that you may find in alpine huts. And these paintings, basically they show the cows moving up to the mountains. And a fun fact that I just recently learned is that actually, these Poya paintings, they were not only for decoration, they were really to keep track of the herd.

Lisa Nyffeler

So they painted each single cow that they took up to the mountain to keep track of how many they had there, because obviously they have a lot of space on the Alps and they can move pretty freely. So it’s important to keep track of your cows. And then another big event and tradition we can say is after the summer, after a whole season of cheesemaking up in the Alps. And sometimes it’s a bit of isolating because you’re really up there as a cheesemaker alone. Then you go down the mountains, down the Alps in September, and this event is called desalpe, which is French and more or less translates to de-alpining. So you go down from the Alps and you take your cows with you. And this is really this event where the cows are dressed up, they are all decorated with flowers, there is traditional music playing, lots of food, and it is the reunion of the whole family after the summer.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Lovely. So, yeah, I’m sure there’s festivals and things held in the villages when the cows are brought back down.

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, that’s right. So after, when the herdsmen go down there is the typical Benichon. It is a festival, a meal that is celebrated altogether with family, with friends. It is the reunion after the alpine herdsmen come down. And it really is something like. It is a french word, Benichon. It means thanksgiving. And it’s really something like a thanksgiving festival to be thankful for the good summer season, for the produced cheeses and for the harvested goods during the summer season.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Okay, now, you mentioned that the cattle normally go up the mountain for the poya. Is that normally around June, the start of summer?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes. So ideally it’s around mid May, but it really depends on the specific season, on the specific year. So I think this year it will be a bit later than mid May. It will be probably around right now, end of May, beginning of June. But if it’s a very summery spring, it can be already mid May. And that’s also from this time that the alpine huts are open in the mountains for when hikers come by. So usually what these cheesemakers do is they have their cheese production site, but some of them also have something like a little alpine kiosk where the hikers can come by and get a refreshment or taste a bit of cheese during a hike. So this is very lovely.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Yeah, it would be. So there’s obviously some lovely rural parts of the canton, but just to make it a little confusing, the capital city of the canton is also called Fribourg. What can you tell us about the city and what would we expect when we visited the capital?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, so indeed it could be confusing. You’re completely right. The capital of the canton of Fribourg is also called Fribourg. Freiburg in French or Fribourg in German, as again, it’s in both languages. So it’s a mediaeval town surrounded by town walls. And it has a cathedral dating from 1490 with a tower that is over 76 metres high. So this is really like the spot where you get a beautiful view of all the city. And I would say it’s the perfect start to explore the city of Fribourg. The city of Fribourg offers the perfect mix of a typical Swiss boutique town, interesting museums, leisurely walks and also delicious gastronomy.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Okay, and what are some of the sights and experiences that shouldn’t be missed when we visit Fribourg?

Lisa Nyffeler

So, yes, I think certainly the cathedral is a must. As I mentioned, the tower, it has over 365 steps to go out, but it’s definitely worth the view. And then I think a second step must be the old town. So it’s situated on a lower level than the upper part of the town. The town really has these two parts, the upper part and the lower part. And in the lower part is the old town that was back in the day, the industrial area of Fribourg. And today is really a charming place with lovely restaurants, sociocultural projects. We have one of them that it’s called Le Bor. It’s a mix of a cafe, concert location and spot for urban farming, really for the locals, but also for visitors to come and enjoy this place. And then maybe after you’ve had a drink or a little snack at this sociocultural restaurant, you can go up to the old town again and then you can use the funicular of Fribourg, which the locals call Funi. It’s something that really every local person in Fribourg, we love our Funi. It is a funicular that is dating from 1899 and it works with counterweights and runs on waste waters of the city.

Lisa Nyffeler

So it’s also a very sustainable means of transport, unique in Europe and also listed as a historical monument.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Sounds wonderful and definitely something that you need to check out. You mentioned before the chocolate and cheese, and we’re going to talk more about Gruyere shortly because I know that’s very popular with visitors to the canton, but there must be plenty more other villages that you think are worth visiting. Can you give us a heads up on a few that we should include in our trip to the canton of Fribourg?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, of course. So, next to Gruyere, which you just mentioned, and which is situated in the pre Alps, we also have other pre alpine destinations, such as Charmey, which are really lovely. It’s a small village nestled in the pre Alps, where you can do all kinds of mountain leisure activities, such as hikes or bike tours. You can also, from there, take the cable cars up to the mountains, if you prefer not to hike or bike. So it really has something for everybody. And also in this region, you really get the sense of the traditional swiss pre Alps. So it’s really nice to be surrounded by all of this. And then also in the pre Alps, we have the region of Les Paccots which is an equally ideal location for any mountain leisure activities. And you can also try the delicious fondue, which we have a lot in these mountain regions during or after a hike. As I mentioned, the cheesemakers, usually in the summer, they have their little alpine kiosks open, so you can just have a little refreshment or a snack during a hike. So this is, for the pre alpine regions, many little charming villages.

Lisa Nyffeler

But then we also have the regions of the lakes in our canton of Fribourg. Next to the lakes, we have the charming town of Murten and the vineyards of the Vully, as well as the mediaeval town of Estavayer-le-Lac so maybe we can go a bit more into detail for this lake. Yes. So this first town that I mentioned, Murten, is a mediaeval town next to the lake of Murten. It’s a small lake where you also have these typical town walls that are surrounding the village or the town. Let’s say it’s maybe more a village for an Australian person, but for us, we consider this a town. And, yeah, so you can just have a visit of the town, visit the town walls, learn more about the history of the place, because actually, back in the days, there was a lot of fights going on. We have this fight of Murten, where the German speaking, I would say conquestors, they wanted to come down and take over of the town. And so it’s really a historical place. And also what is important in Murten is the gastronomy. So as it is close to a lake, we obviously have a lot of fish that is served in the town, in the restaurants, and we have the typical Nidelkuchen, which is a tart made with a lot of cream, and it’s really delicious.

Lisa Nyffeler

And then if you want to go over cross this lake, you find the Vully, the place where organic wines are harvested and produced. And there you will find another specialty, which is the Vully tart, which just goes perfectly with a wine tasting. So you have wine, and then you can just have a little snack next to it. And then if you want more lake.

Carolyn Schönafinger

You’re making me hungry.

Lisa Nyffeler

Yeah, well, it’s a lot about food in our region, so, yes, if you want even more delicious fish, or if you want to have maybe a bit of sport after so much wine and food, you can go to Estavayer-le-Lac. And this is on another lake. It is actually, if you cross the Vully wine region, you will get to Estavayer-le-Lac and this is next to the lake Neuchatel, where you can do many sports activities, such as stand up paddling, water sports. It is very safe to do this in the Swiss lakes. So it’s wonderful, refreshing activities in the summer.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Sounds like lots of fun and a great way to burn off all those calories. Okay, so let’s talk about Gruyeres, because I know, as I said before, it’s a really popular destination with international visitors. Many people coming to Switzerland are desperate to taste their famous Swiss cheese and Swiss chocolates, and they can find both of those in Gruyeres so how would you describe the village to someone who hasn’t heard of it before?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes. So Gruyeres really is the picture perfect mediaeval village with an alpine flair that you would instantly think of when you think of a typical Swiss village. It is situated on a small hill. It’s overlooking the green landscapes of the La Gruyeres region. It has the wooden chalets that you would think of, and one is really more charming than the other. And also what’s really important, in my opinion, is when you walk through Gruyeres, it smells of fondue and cheeses from every of these chalets, as many of them are restaurants. And so it’s really a very authentic experience to walk through Gruyeres and then at the end of the village, as, let’s say, a reward of the little walk, you have the Gruyeres castle that is overlooking the whole village. So it’s really like this picture perfect setting that you would imagine.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Yeah, I’ve only seen photos of it. I’m yet to visit Gruyeres, but it’s definitely one of those villages that as soon as you see a photo of it, you think, I’ve got to go there. It looks amazing. So what are the highlights that shouldn’t be missed on a visit to Gruyeres? What would you do if you were just heading there for a day? What would you definitely make sure that you did, yes.

Lisa Nyffeler

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So I think, first of all, certainly a walk through the little town and then a visit of the Gruyeres castle, as it brings a lot of information also about the history of the place, how it used to belong to the lords of the region back in the mediaeval ages. But also maybe something that might come as a surprise. We have an alien museum in this picture perfect Swiss setting. We have the H.R. Geiger Museum from Geiger, who was the artistic design director, I think, of the alien movies back in the 80s. So he is not from Gruyeres, but he fell in love with the place. He is Swiss and he decided to buy a part of these houses that are like the town walls at the same time. And so nowadays it’s a museum where you find a lot of information about all the Alien movies and exhibits that is just not to be expected in this surrounding. But it’s very refreshing.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Real contrast.

Lisa Nyffeler

It is. It is, exactly so. I mean, if this is your cup of tea, then I would also really recommend the Giger Museum. And then maybe to round it off, to round off the experience, I would either go for a fondue at one of these restaurants in the town itself, or an alternative is to go all the way down of the hill. And then at the foot of the hill where Gruyeres is situated, on, you will find the Maison de Gruyeres, which is a cheese factory, actually. And it’s also somewhere where you can observe the production of the cheese. So you might also, after having visited the little town, want to walk down? It’s about a ten minute leisurely walk, and then you can observe the cheese production in a maybe more industrial way, but still very authentic. And then have a fondue there to round up the day.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Lovely. And so what about chocolate? Tell us about the chocolate.

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, I mean, the chocolate is a very important part of Gruyeres and the whole region of Gruyeres, as I mentioned at the very beginning. We have the Maison Cailler, which is one of the oldest factories of chocolate production in Switzerland. And actually it’s the oldest factory that is still in operation. It is situated in the little village of Broc that it’s around ten minutes, not even, by car from Gruyeres. You can also reach it by public transportation, if you wish. And then actually maybe after morning, or let’s say until midday when you’ve had your fondue in Gruyeres. After morning of cheese, you can then head to the Maison Cailler for the dessert, which is chocolate, and observe and learn everything about chocolate and its history in Switzerland.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Oh, wonderful. So you can obviously do tours of both the cheese and the chocolate factory.

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, you can do that. And it’s a full day that can be experienced in this region. It’s something that I do with friends when they come over and want to experience the authentic side of Switzerland or of our. It’s really, it’s a perfect day trip. It’s also something that I did with my family because as you know, the saying, if you are maybe born somewhere, you don’t necessarily do the touristic highlights. So I invited my family to do exactly this trip that I just presented to you the morning. And until midday it was all cheese in Gruyeres and then we went off for the chocolate in Broc in the Maison Cailler and it was a wonderful day. Everybody enjoyed it.

Carolyn Schönafinger

I’m sure they did. You mentioned there earlier about the castle that is the reward for making your way through the village. Can you also do tours of the castle and what’s inside? Is there a museum or what would we see when we visit the castle?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, you can do. So either a self guided tour, that is possible, or you can have, of course, a guide explaining you a bit more details about the whole castle and its history and also the history of Gruyeres itself. I did the self guided tour many, many times and the guided tour one time and I would say they are both equally nice. But of course, if you want to get a bit more information, the guided tour is highly recommendable. As for the self guided tour, it’s just with explanations on panels. It is also in English, so it’s easy to do. You can do it at your own pace. And yeah, you can also get views of the garden after the self guided tour. It just gives you, let’s say, a tour a little bit more maybe at your pace.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Okay, that sounds like something else that we definitely should be doing as well. Now, I’m sure like most other destinations in Switzerland, Fribourg canton offers plenty of opportunities for getting outside in the great outdoors. So where are some of the best places that we should go to breathe in that beautiful, fresh mountain air and enjoy the wonderful scenery?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes. So I mean, the whole canton has the fresh air, I think whether you are in the pre Alps, in the cities or by the lakes. So there are several options. But if you’re really about outdoors and getting to these beautiful nature places, I think the pre Alps and the lakes are really the regions to go in the pre Alps. I would say, for instance, the mountain of Moleson is wonderful. It is a mountain that is just next to the village of Gruyeres that we just talked about. It is also visible from this village and it is the iconic mountain of the whole Gruyeres region. So you can go up there either by car and then take cable car to the very top, or you can also take a bus that takes you to the station until you want to take the cable car. You can, of course, also hike up for the ones who like a bit more of a physical challenge. So, again, there’s many options, and this really is a wonderful place to breathe in the fresh, pre-alpine air, to admire the scenery. And, of course, from the Moleson, you can also see the little village of Gruyeres, which is a nice change of perspective and highly recommendable.

Lisa Nyffeler

And then, I think also for the lake regions, of course, if you are by the lake of Murten or by the lake of Neuchatel, you can just do a boat ride, for instance, and then breathe in the fresh lake air. You can also do a stand up paddling tour. You can do a canoeing tour in the nature reservation of le Grande Cariçaie this is in the lake of. And this is an activity that is typically done with a guide. And then he describes you anything about this nature reserve which actually attracts lots of birds, lots of animals, and, yeah, they just feel safe there. And then from a safe distance, you can also observe them.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Are there walking paths along the lake? So you can just go for a leisurely stroll?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes, exactly. So you can also go for a leisurely stroll either around the lake of Murten or around parts of the lake of Neuchatel. This lake is a bit bigger, so it might take a bit longer if you wanted to do the whole round of the lake. You can do this either by foot. You can also take a bike or an ebike and do these lake paths. And, yes, they are very varied. If it’s summertime and it’s warm enough to swim, you can hop in anytime for a swim at any place of the lake shore that you like. And otherwise, yes, it’s just a lovely leisurely afternoon or activity that you might do in the afternoon, maybe after having had one of these Murten or Vully specialities.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Sounds like a very good idea. Now, we’ve mentioned chocolate and cheese, but I keep hearing about the meringues from the region served with double cream from Gruyeres. What makes them so famous? And can you tell me a little bit more about those?

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes. So, of course, after the cheese, we don’t only have chocolate as a dessert, we also have the delicious meringues with Gruyeres double cheese, double cream sorry. As a dessert, it is almost like cheese, though, because it’s a very heavy double cream cream. So what we do is we have these meringues and we put the double cream over it. Or one of the alpine cheesemakers once showed me, he actually dipped the meringue into the double cream and he ate it like that. So this double cream is a typical product from the Gruyeres region that also is made up in the alpine huts by the cheesemakers. It can be like a side product of the cheese production. So sometimes they like to produce cheese, but also produce this double cream. And, yes, it just goes very well with these meringues together. It’s also a typical dish at the Benichon, this Thanksgiving meal that I mentioned earlier when everybody gets together after the alpine season. And, yes, I mean, it’s just another heavy load of calories, but definitely worth it.

Carolyn Schönafinger

And is that something that gets served year round or is it a seasonal sort of dish?

Lisa Nyffeler

It gets served year round. It is also produced in the cheese factories or in the milk treatment factories. Dairy factories, actually, in the lower region. So not only in the Alps during the whole year, but of course, during the alpine seasons, in the summer. These double creams, they are made up in the Alps, so they have a bit more of an alpine taste. It’s maybe hard to describe, but just I feel like you taste the alpine herbs when you eat it, same as when you eat the alpine cheese. So it has maybe a slightly different taste, but both versions are absolutely delicious and you can get it all year round, so no worries. If you come in the Swiss winter, you can also taste the double cream with the meringues.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Wow. This sounds like there’s plenty of culinary treats that we really have to try in Fribourg.

Lisa Nyffeler

Certainly, yes.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Okay. Well, it’s been really good chatting with you, but before I let you go, I’m going to ask you if you could share with us the top three reasons that you think that people should include a visit to the canton of Fribourg in their trip to Switzerland.

Lisa Nyffeler

Yes. So, as I mentioned, I think at the very beginning, for me, the canton of Fribourg is really a mini Switzerland that is, first of all, easily accessible and second of all, really gives you all that you could think of when you think Switzerland. So I would say the mini Switzerland aspect, with its traditions and cultures, for me, is one of the main reasons. Then, of course, the second reason is the gastronomy. It’s all the cheeses, all the chocolates that you can taste, which, of course, enhance the mini Switzerland experience. And then maybe third. If after all these calories, you want to walk them off and you want to move a little bit, is of course, the nature, I would say the nature of our region, with its fantastic places for hikes, for strolls around the lakes, and for maybe mountain biking in the pre-alpine regions. So I would say these combinations really make it for me, a round experience and a perfect trip to this region.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Yeah, it certainly sounds like it’s got everything we need. And as you say, it’s within close proximity to the capitals or to the capital, as well as to Geneva and to Zurich, where many people fly into. So, yeah, why not spend a few days there and make the most of it all?

Lisa Nyffeler

Exactly. So I would say, yes, we are very happy to welcome any Australians as soon as possible. We cannot wait to welcome you back and we are really happy to share our beautiful region with you all.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Thank you. And we’ve got a lot of listeners from the United States too. So I think they might be lucky enough to visit Switzerland slightly before we Australians. But I’m sure they’ll be keen to head to the canton of Fribourg now as well, that they know more about it.

Lisa Nyffeler

Sounds very good.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Yes, great. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Lisa, and for sharing all that wonderful information with us today.

Lisa Nyffeler

Thank you very much, Carolyn. It was a pleasure. And yes, we cannot wait for more visitors to come to our region. We are more than ready. Everything is ready to give you the perfect experience. So yes, thank you very much for this opportunity to sharing via the audio with you what is possible to experience in our region and I hope it can be transformed into a real experience.

Carolyn Schönafinger

Thank you so much. Wow. Are you hungry? Because I certainly am. I can just about taste those meringues with double cream, fondue and, of course, delicious Swiss chocolate. I’m definitely making sure that the Canton of Fribourg is on my itinerary next time I visit Switzerland. Now, if you’d like more information about any of today’s episode, you can get that at holidaystoswitzeland.com/episode22. You’ll find the show notes there with links to the Fribourg Tourism website as well as articles from Holidays to Switzerland that cover lots of the topics discussed today in more detail. If you’ve enjoyed this episode, I’d be grateful if you’d leave a review on your favourite podcast app.

Announcer

Thank you so much for listening. For more great resources on planning a trip to Switzerland, make sure you visit holidaystoswitzerland.com where you’ll find trip planning tips, destination guides, information on transport including swiss rail passes and much more. You’re also encouraged to join the Switzerland Travel planning group on Facebook, where you can ask questions and chat to other past and future travellers to Switzerland. You’ll find show notes from today’s episode at holidaystoswitzerland.com/podcast, and be sure to subscribe to the Holidays to Switzerland Travel Podcast so you never miss an episode.

You can see the full show notes and listen to this episode > here.