Gruyères castle

Before I came to Switzerland, the only association with Gruyères that I had was a brand of cheese. But actually, there is much more than cheese in the region. The most important building in Gruyères is the castle, towering up above the entire plain.

Let's go inside.

From the top of the castle hill you can see the village below. And the Alps in the background.

Have you noticed those little brown spots down the hill? These are cows. They wear special alpine bells. When they move the noise is just incredible.

In the outer courtyard you can spot a little chapel.

Its interior is rather modest.

The inner courtyard is large.

What catches the eye are the wooden balconies, embellished with red pelargonium.

The Gruyères castle used to be the home of the Gruyères counts. The last of them died in the sixteenth century. Nowadays, the castle has been turned into a museum. You can imagine what life used to be in here. Here comes the dining room.

Next to it you will find the musical room.

And a few steps further, the sitting room, where the old granny of the count, in her wheelchair, could cross stitch or play the bridge.

The wooden tiles on the walls are covered with paintings.

The bedroom is large, though the bed itself is rather small, like the ones that we have seen in the Malbork Castle.

The bathroom or rather the wash place was modest. But as I have heard, in the Middle Ages people believed it was enough to bathe twice a year.

As in any castle, you will find here of course also some old armours ...

... and some old weapons, like these halberds.

They were really needed, since of course many soldiers were trying in the past to conquer the Gruyères castle. Luckily, it was guarded by a high wall.

Actually, it is possible to walk through these walls. Do you fancy a little walk? Through the crenellage you can see the villages in the valley.

When we turn back, you will see the castle and the balcony from which we were admiring the garden.

I hope that you have enjoyed the visit we had in the Gruyères castle. It is really a beautiful place. If you use your imagination just a bit, you will feel like a noble knight or a beautiful princess.