Switzerland: The Gruyere Countryside

Morning in Gruyere

Footpath from the Chateau to Town

 The next morning Kim and I woke before dawn (we're both early risers), and went for a walk around old Gruyere. It was fun to see the tinting sky still with stars, the streetlights, and the deserted alleys. Many of the tourists on Sunday had gone home, having spent Saturday night, and we had our run of the place.

We headed back for a breakfast at the hotel with Ann who was up and ready for the day. The hotel had a fantastic breakfast setup, the best while we were in Europe. Fresh bread, great cheeses (of course), fruit, super coffee, juices, muslix, yogurts. Why don't we find such good breakfasts in the US, even at swanky establishments? We could have stayed all morning eating, but we had plans - to hike down from our hill-top castle and into the surrounding hills that day to see the rural Swiss countryside. It was going to be another great day, and the sun was full out now, with few of the clouds that capped the peaks yesterday.

We hiked back down our hillside foot path into Pringy, and were almost run over by a pair of mountain bikers whirring by in full kit. I had noticed a few the day before on the cobbles of Chateau de Gruyeres and was intrigued. It appeared that at least in this part of Switzerland, mountain biking is a touring sport of footpaths and dirt roads, not ride centers. With scenery like this, I can see why. The mountain biking routes are clearly marked with their own signs. This is good, since many of the foot paths we used were unsuitable for biking, and it would be a bummer as a biker to keep getting off onto unridable trails.

Cows along the Regional Rail Line

We followed the wonderful trail signs out of town  on a small paved road along the regional rail tracks. The narrowing valley was scattered with small dairy farms - cows resting along the tracks and road. We turned off an a small dirt track through another farm towards a beckoning tree covered ridge and mounted a narrow road climbing the flank of the hillside and entered a deep woods. It was a steep climb through the trees. It was odd as we climbed the forest to smell the fall manure spreading wafting amongst the pines on an up-slope breeze, not the pines. Not used to agriculture cheek-and-jowl with northern forest I guess. And November must be manure season here as well as in Sweden.

The Well Marked Trails of Gruyere

At the next trail sign we intersected a steep footpath that climbed left the road and climbed the hill more aggressively. We followed that up switchbacks to the top of the ridge where we emerged into the morning sun, blinking, to find a narrow paved road winding through a pastoral paradise as it climbed the ever-rising ridge. Very narrow, perfectly paved roads were to become a theme for us in the Swiss uplands. They seemed hardly wider than many urban bike paths, single lane unless you pulled off into the grassy shoulder, and there wasn't much of that either. And very little traffic. We only saw 2 cars in over an hour. It would be the most incredible road biking route! No wonder biking is so big in Europe.

Kim and Ann Climb the Upper Road

We wouldn't be able to hike all the way to the top of the ridge in the time we had, we had to be back in the afternoon for our train to Lauterbrunen, so we just hiked higher and higher, taking in the beautiful fall sunshine and the scenery.

A Friendlier Kind of Cow

The only denizens of the region we encountered were the skittish dairy cows. Kim pointed out the two traditional bells they wore. One was smaller, cast and machined and bell shaped. The other was often much larger and seemed made of stamped sheet bronze. It had a distinctive and often lower tone. I wish I knew more about the bell traditions here.

Nearing our Turn Around Point

Though one cow in particular was quite friendly, and followed us along the fence, eventually sticking its broad, wet red nose through the barbed wire in greeting. Sorry bub, no treats today.

It would have been great to keep going all day, but we had to check out and catch a train, so we turned around at the next segment of forested road, and headed back with the broad valley spread out before us.

On the way Back Down

The Chateau de Gruyeres from Above.

Of special interest was seeing the Chateau from above. Its hilltop redoubt rose above the surrounding farms, the Chateau walls, towers, and church clearly visible against the surrounding villages. You could almost imagine the old social structures of lord and peasant village here, and the insecurity that drove the rulers to build on the hilltops.

What a great piece of Swiss countryside. A day at the Chateau was about right, but I would have loved to spend more time exploring the region around the Chateau. Opportunities for hiking and biking abound. Hilly, but not so extreme as the high Alps, so more accessible. Some day....