gruyeres cheese tour

The Cheese Factory

Twice a day 22 farmers deliver their milk to the fromagerie (cheese dairy), milk from cows that graze the lush grass and fragrant flora of alpine meadows situated between 800 and 1600 m above sea level (2400-4800 ft). Under the watchful eyes of visitors the masters cheese-makers and their team produce up to 48 wheels of Gruyère a day, observing the stingent AOP (appellation d’origine protégée) specifications.

Figures The cheese dairy is equipped with four vats with a capacity of 4’800 litres, and a cellar used to mature 7’000 wheels of cheese.

The production The cheese is producted 2 or 4 times a day, between 9.00 am to 12.30 am, according to the season. The duration a cheese production is 2 and half hour.

Presentation of the masters cheese-makers They share the same surname, a relationship of small cousins, the occupation of master cheese-maker and since December 2004 the same responsibilities. Jacques and Nicolas Ecoffey take over the direction of the Cheese dairy . Jacques and Nicolas Ecoffey have just obtained respectively the best “Maîtrise fédérale” results of Switzerland and the second the best one for the french part of Switzerland.

La Maison du Gruyère, Place de la Gare 3, CH-1663 Pringy-Gruyères

Tél. +41(0)26 921 84 00

Google Map | Latitude: 46.582336 | Longitude: 7.072761

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Visit a cheese dairy

La Maison du Gruyère

La Maison du Gruyère invites you to discover the king of cheeses: Le Gruyère AOP. It is located in its very birthplace, close to the mountain pastures and at the foot of Gruyères Castle.

Come and experience La Maison du Gruyère with your family, in a group or on your own and delve into the secrets of the making of Le Gruyère. La Maison du Gruyère guides you through a modern world of the senses and our cow Cerise (Cherry) introduces you to the secrets of the Gruyère AOP making. Two to four times a day you can experience cheese-making live from the visitors’ gallery. 

A headset is given to you and the audio information is available in thirteen languages : English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese as well as Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese and Russian. Written translations also available Korean, Dutch, Finnish, Hebrew, Persian, Romanian and Turkish.

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Opening hours

*Subject to change, please consult the Maison du Gruyère website for more information.

Follow the educational itinerary

Every day from 9am to 6pm (6.30pm from June to September)

Last entrance 30 min. before closing

Production of Gruyère AOP

From 9am to 12:30pm

La Maison du Gruyère  

CH-1663 Pringy-Gruyères

Phone +41 (0) 26 921 84 00           

Fax +41 (0) 26 921 84 01           

Email: info(at)lamaisondugruyere.ch

Website:   www.lamaisondugruyere.ch

The cheese dairy Les Martel

The Martel dairy invites you to discover its visitors’ gallery. From here you can watch the making of Gruyère AOP live and take a walk through an exciting educational exhibition. 

Cheese dairy tours

• Audio-visual presentation/slide show (French, German, English, Italian) and visitor gallery.
• Film showing how for Le Gruyère AOC is matured in the cellars in French, German, English and Italian.
• Le Gruyère AOC tasting (SFr 4.50)
• Breakfast at the cheese dairy (SFr 12.50)

The cheese dairy Les Martel

Opening times

• Monday-Saturday: 7am-noon and 5-7pm
• Sunday: 8-11am and 5-7pm
• Duration: 90 minutes
• Admission: Free

La Fromagerie Les Martels

Major-Benoit 25,            

CH-2316 Les Ponts-de-Martel   

Phone +41 32 937 16 66     

Fax +41 32 937 14 19     

Email: info(at)fromagerie-les-martel.ch

Website:  www.fromagerie-les-martel.ch

CLASSIC GRUYERES TOUR

FOOD LOVERS EXPERIENCE

Indulge yourself with a 7-hour Gruyères food lover tour. Start your day with a drive through wonderful landscapes. Try to spot one of the black and white cows that give the milk for the famous Gruyere cheese!

Which specialty of the Swiss gastronomy are you going to prefer as you taste them after your visits: cheese, chocolate or double cream? Awaken your senses with this one day tour in the medieval village of Gruyeres.

CHEESE FACTORY

Do you know the history, century-old  ability  and the  distinctive   generation  stages of a Gruyère AOP ? The  details , with their quality and traceability  necessities ? The  maturing  periods and the cellar treatment  amid  its  least  5 months of  aging ? 

gRUYERES CASTLE

Since the 13th century, Château de Gruyères has  ruled  a green  slope  at the foot of the Fribourg Pre-Alps.  Nowadays , the medieval  post  houses prestigious collections that witness its long and  wealthy  history. To visit it is to step back in time and  find  its treasures. 

SWISS CHEESE TRADITION

At the foot of the pre-Alps, surrounded by the fragrant pastures of the Gruyère region, stands the gray mass of the shingled roof of an old 17th-century chalet, converted into an alpine cheese dairy. Discover traditional wood-fired cheese-making.

CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Would you like to visit a Swiss chocolate factory?? Explore Maison Cailler and immerse yourself in the world of an authentic chocolate factory. History, production, and tasting

YOUR PRIVATE EXCURSION

Your first stop will be at a local cheese factory. You will learn everything about Gruyere cheese, from its history to the know-how of today’s producers, with a tour and a cheese tasting experience at the end.

Continue with the visit of this picture-perfect medieval town, with the visit if the 13th-century Gruyères Castle, a Swiss heritage site and free time in the town. Enjoy the views over the Sarine Valley and walk down the narrow cobblestone streets.

After your visit of the old town, your chauffeur will drive you towards another wonder of the Swiss cuisine: chocolate. In Broc, visit the Maison Cailler chocolate museum and experience. This interactive and multisensorial visit ends with chocolate tasting. You can even create your own personalized chocolate bar, a unique and gourmet souvenir! Bon appétit !

OUR FAVORITE

Gruyere double cream.

You know the famous Gruyere cheese, Swiss chocolate, but have you heard of this famous local specialty, the Gruyeres double cream? This delicious cream is the perfect companion for a meringue. This light and airy dessert is eaten either with double cream, or with fruit, with sorbet or simply on its own. Bon appétit !

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Emmanuel PIERACCINI Swiss Private Tours, Limousines, Chauffeur & Conciergerie Services

Trade registration CHE-173.652.222, TPTP .00403 commercial Policy, Vaud Canton, CH 1820 Montreux, Switzerland

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Visit La Maison du Gruyère Cheese-Making Show Dairy in Switzerland

La Maison du Gruyère Fromagerie de Demonstration is a cheese-making dairy factory open to visitors near the popular wall-enclosed old town and Gruyères castle in Switzerland.

Gruyère is one of the world’s best-known cheeses and named after the Gruyères region in the Swiss canton Fribourg. At its heart is the small, wall-enclosed hilltop town Gruyères, a tourist magnet with its medieval look and historic castle. Day-trippers stream here from all over Switzerland and La Maison du Gruyère provides an opportunity to see how the cheese is being produced. Gruyères is a popular day-trip destination from the Lake Geneva region and Bern – tours depend on the season.

La Maison du Gruyère Cheese-Making Dairy Factory in Switzerland

The House of Gruyère is a modern cheese-making factory located right in front of Gruyères train station in Pringy-Gruyères a few minutes’ walk from the wall-enclosed old town. Ample parking, also for tour buses, is available.

Modern cheese making is a rather sterile, industrial process and this is no different for an Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) cheese such as Gruyère. Visitors may observe the cheese-making process through large windows and although the characteristic smell of Gruyères cheese hangs over the entire complex, visitors do not get close to the products.

Gruyères Show Cheese-Making Factory Tour

Visitors to the cheese-making facilities receive an audio guide, available in multiple languages, and then can follow a bit of history of Gruyères as well as explanations on the production of milk and eventually cheese. Special cylinders allow visitors to smell the different plants that influence the taste of milk.

Following these explanations, visitors look down through large windows into the actual cheese making production plant. Depending on the time of day, not much may actually be happening at the given moment.

Videos show what should happen in every stage of production while more panels explain some facts about Gruyère cheese, e.g. 400 l of milk is required for each 35 kg Gruyères cheese round, or a more manageable 12 liter of milk per kilogram Gruyère cheese.

When little is happening in the cheese factory, the most impressive part of the visit is probably the maturing cellars where up to 7,000 rounds of Gruyère cheese are stored. However, these cellars may be seen for free without having to enter the factory tour itself.

Visiting La Maison du Gruyère Show Cheese-Making Factory

The show cheese dairy factory of La Maison du Gruyère is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm (7 pm from June to September). Cheesemaking takes place daily from 9 am to 11 am and 12:30 to 4:30 pm.

The dairy factory is even open on Christmas Day but with shorter opening hours (10-4) from December 24 to 31, 2011.

Admission is a rather hefty CHF7 (CHF16 for a combination ticket with Château de Gruyères), free under 12, and CHF16 for families.

All visitors receive a sampler of three Gruyères cheeses to compare the taste of cheese of three different maturities. The young less than 5 months old Gruyère is mild ( doux ) in taste while the more mature cheeses have a saltier taste and more coarse texture.

The on-premises restaurant has a large menu (with a lot of cheese dishes) but service can be slow at busy times. Children will enjoy the play area outside the restaurant where picnic facilities are also available. The oversized souvenir shop at the entrance to the factory hints at the popularity of the dairy with tour bus companies.

If receiving free admission, e.g. with the Swiss Museum Pass , it is certainly worth visiting the cheese factory. However, the regular admission fee is rather high for what is on show – other cheese-making dairies in Switzerland charge significantly less.

More on Gruyères:

• Visit Romantic Gruyères Old Town and Castle
• HR Giger Museum (Surrealist and fantastic art)
• Tibet Museum in Gruyères
• Visit La Maison Cailler Chocolate Factory in Broc
• Les Bains de la Gruyère Hot Spring Baths
• Transportation to Gruyères in Switzerland

Home » Freiburg / Fribourg » Visit La Maison du Gruyère Cheese-Making Show Dairy in Switzerland

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The Gruyère region, with its rolling green landscape and the peaks of the Fribourg Pre-Alps, is home to the world-famous Gruyère cheese. The picture-book little medieval town of Gruyères is perched atop a small hill.

Description

The peaceful scenery of the Gruyère region, with the Lake of Gruyère – one of the finest artificial lakes in Switzerland – is home to the black and white Fribourg cows which provide the milk for the strongly flavoured Gruyère cheese. In the middle of this picture postcard scenery, nestling between the slopes of the Moléson and the Dent du Chamois, rises the medieval, traffic-free little town of Gruyères, with its castle, surrounded by a fortified wall. Inside the 13th century castle is a museum covering eight centuries of the architecture, history and culture of the region. In the second, smaller castle in Gruyères, St. Germain, is the HR Giger museum. It was Giger who designed the horrific fantasy figures for the Hollywood film "Alien". The museum houses the artist's most important pictures and sculptures from 1960 to the present day, and there is also an HR Giger bar. An important part in the picturesque overall scene in the little town is played by the several restaurants serving specialities from the Gruyère region: fondue, raclette and, especially, desserts made with the excellent Gruyère double cream. In the modern show cheesery at Gruyères you can see how the tasty Gruyère cheese is made. And to round off the tour of culinary delights: for those with a sweet tooth it would be worth taking a guided tour round the Maison Cailler The Swiss Chocolate factory in nearby Broc.

Region of Fribourg

Crowd prediction

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Toboggan run through unspoilt natural beauty

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Gruyères, Region of Fribourg Le Saint Georges

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1 Night, Price per double room

from CHF 130

Charmey, Region of Fribourg Hôtel Cailler 4 Stars

Charmey, region of fribourg résidence le sapin 3 stars, avry-devant-pont, region of fribourg restoroute motel de la gruyère.

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Gruyères, Region of Fribourg Auberge de la Halle

Moléson-sur-Gruyères, La Gruyère Restaurant Plan Francey

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• until 9 Jun Gruyères Castle « Sonia Kacem, La Chute » Gruyères, 09.03. - 09.06.2024
• 5 May Cheese festival in Gruyères Gruyères, 05.05.2024
• From 8 May Theater festival of Bulle Bulle, 08.05. - 11.05.2024
• From 1 Jun Double cream festival in Gruyères Gruyères, 01.06. - 02.06.2024

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Travel information: la gruyère, destination.

La Gruyère Tourisme Place de la Gare 3 1630  Bulle +41 (0)26 919 85 00 [email protected] Website

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Things to do in Gruyeres

Gruyères is a beautiful, walled medieval town with cobbled streets and it's own castle. Gruyères is located at the base of the Swiss Prealps in the French-speaking canton of Fribourg. In the 13th century, the Count of Gruyeres built his castle at the top of the hill to control the upper Saanen Valley and the town was developed thereafter. The historic town of Gruyères has been unaffected by time and takes pride in their exceptional art and cultural exhibitions. You will be enchanted by the architectural charm of Gruyères and enjoy some of the most breathtaking views in Switzerland. You can plan a visit to Gruyères on one of our Swiss tours .

Château de Gruyères

The castle is one of the most prestigious in Switzerland and towers majestically above the medieval town of Gruyères. The tour of the castle offers a walk through eight centuries of architecture, history, and culture. A visit to the   castle   is a journey across eight centuries of architecture, history and culture. The castle was the residence of the counts of Gruyères and was constructed in the 13th century. Michel, the last of them, faced financial difficulties and declared bankruptcy in 1554. The creditors - the towns of Fribourg and Berne - shared his land between them. The Castle became the headquarters of the Fribourg bailiffs (1555-1798), then the prefects' residence until 1848. It was put up for sale in 1849 and became the property of the Bovy and Balland families, who stayed there in summer and took care of restoration of the site with their artist friends. In 1938, the State of Fribourg bought the Castle and opened a museum which is a historical gem in the Fribourg region.

The Church of Gruyères is dedicated to St. Théodule and was built in 1254. It is situated away fom the bustle of the main street and located next to the Castle of Gruyères. Inside the church, there are three naves: a main nave and two side aisles, that were lateral chapels separated from the church by walls. The side chapels were integrated to the central nave around 1800 and the stained glass windows are by Yoki, an artist from Fribourg. When walking the streets of Gruyères you can often hear the bells ringing on this Roman Catholic Church and it is a beautiful place to visit.

HR Giger Museum

The HR Giger museum is located in the St-Germain castle in the center of Gruyères and contains the largest existing collection of the Swiss artist, HR Giger. Immerse yourself in the world of fantastic art, paintings, sculptures, furnishings, and film sets. HR Giger won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects for his participation in the film “Alien.” Right across from the museum, there is a Giger bar themed for the “Alien” movie with the roof, walls, fittings and chairs all designed by the artist. The museum is definitely geared for adults and Giger fans.

Tibet Museum

At the Tibet Museum you can discover the amazing beauty of Himalayan Art. It is housed in the renovated chapel of St. Joseph and is run by the Alain Bordier Foundation. The Tibet Museum is small but contains an important collection of Buddhist sculptures, paintings and ritual objects. The collection is meaningful and inspires a feeling of zen and meditation. The setting is unique as it blends the religions of Christianity from the stained glass windows in the Catholic Church with the Buddhist and Tibetan art collection.

Le Maison du Gruyères

The cheese factory is located just below the town of Gruyères next to the train station. It is an interesting cheese manufacturing museum where you will receive a headset to take an audio tour (available in 13 languages), and watch modern cheese making at designated times of the day. You can also buy local cheese, clotted cream, meringues, and souvenirs in the market and gift shop. There is also a restaurant onsite where you can choose from a large selection of local specialties.

Cailler Chocolate Factory

You can catch a train from the Gruyères train station to Broc and visit the Cailler chocolate factory, which should take about 25 minutes by train. Cailler is the oldest   chocolate   manufacturer in Switzerland and is known as one of the world's finest chocolates. Its brands include Frigor and Cailler, which are still made in the company's factory in Broc. Cailler is not widely exported, so it lacks the name recognition of Lindt or Tobler, and you'll have to come to Switzerland to enjoy its many varieties at the source. Upon taking a tour of the factory and learning about the history of chocolate, you can enjoy the chocolate sample room where you can try as much chocolate as you want. There is also a large gift shop selling all varieties of Cailler chocolate so you can be sure to stock up.

Moléson Village    

The Moléson village (officially called Moléson -sur-Gruyères) is just a short bus ride or 10 minute drive above Gruyères. From the village you can catch a funicular and cable car to the top of Moléson Mountain for an excellent mountain view across the Prealps and down to Gruyères. It is an alpine village with many fun family activities, like grass carting and a summer luge. The main draw is the Moléson Mountain above the village where there is a café, an observatory, and dormitory style accommodations at the top.  There is great hiking from the summit and below from the village and even a climbing route (via ferrata) for the brave. 

Alpine Demonstration Dairy   in Moléson  

Discover the traditional style of cheese-making in a large wood-fire boiler in a typical mountain chalet dating from 1686. The Moléson's mountain cheese dairy seeks to demonstrate traditions of chalet life and cheese-making. The cheese-making demonstrations takes place at 10:00 a.m. each day and once you reach the chalet you can enjoy fondue or traditional macaroni. It is open only in the summer.

Gruyères Culinary Specialties

Gruyères has many local culinary specialties that you will not want to miss during your visit. Of course   Gruyère cheese   is the most famous and takes its name from this magnificent region that it comes from. It has been produced since the 12th century and is considered one of the finest cheeses for baking and melting.

Other Local Flavors Include :

• “Moitié-moitié” Fondue : consists of Gruyère AOP cheese and Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP cheese melted together in a pan and is commonly found in the Fribourg region.
• Benichon Mustard : is a sort of jam made using candy sugar, spice, cooked wine, and mustard powder. It is eaten with cuchaule bread.
• Cuchaule : is a plaited bread seasoned with saffron and typically served with sweet-sour Benichon mustard.
• Meringues : are made with Gruyère double cream and has a crunchy outer shell with a light and fluffy center.
• Macaroni de Chalet : cooked over a wood fire with onions, and just before serving it, is topped with Gruyère cheese.

Gruyères, Switzerland has so many wonderful things to offer with such a rich history and beautiful architecture. It has been said that if you only have enough time to visit one town in Switzerland, then visit Gruyères. 

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Travel to Gruyeres: La Maison du Gruyeres, La Maison Cailler, Cheese and Chocolate Factories

Gruyeres is the famous medieval town in Western Switzerland. It is home to the finest Swiss cheese and chocolate.

The tourists listed the French-speaking romantic village as a unique area of Switzerland, and the secret behind making Gruyeres very special is the surrounding panoramic view.

Whereas, it is perched on a rocky hill with stunning views of the pre-Alps hills, which amazes not only people with modernistic viewpoints but also those fond of ancient architecture.

Travel with Switzerland Tour to the medieval town of Gruyeres, in order to get an enchanting experience during a private transfer from Geneva or Zurich - the main cities of Switzerland.

Take a stroll through the one and only street of Gruyeres with a nostalgic feeling as it is a journey from the past to the future. At the entrance of the village, i.e. the start of the street, you are surrounded by small houses dating back to the 15-17th centuries.

The old part of the town developed into a market square, all along with fascinating buildings and shops with keeping its historic facades.

Leaving Gruyeres without tasting the yellow cheese, which has the same name as the town is not acceptable for any reason. The secret technique of making this cheese has a rather long history and passes from generation to generation. For tasting and having some highlights about its history you are invited to visit the cheese factory “La Maison du Gruyere”.

Continuing your discovery of Gruyeres’ treasures, you will visit one of the oldest and most famous chocolate factories in Switzerland – La Maison Cailler in Broc. From here you will learn how the chocolate reached Europe and how Swiss made it even tastier!

Another landmark characterising Gruyeres Village is the 800-year-old Castle of Gruyeres (Château de Gruyères). This building was constructed between 1270 and 1282, and only in 1938 the castle was made into a museum and opened to the public.

Beyond the cultural attractions, Gruyeres has obviously rustic familiar hotels, which invite you to relax and enjoy the amazing views of the town. The delicious culinary in the cozy atmosphere of the decorated restaurants are serving the best of the local cheese.

Gruyeres also possesses completely different museums: the Museum of H.R. Giger and the Tibet Museum, which represents the contemporary edge.

However, going through the H.R. Giger houses museum you will find yourself in an indefinite and foggy future surrounded by non-terrestrial and alien features. Shake your mind in a moment and relax: these are just exhibited from the first film about the aliens, which has won an Oscar as well.

The museum includes the largest and most impressive collection of the Swiss artist’s surrealistic works.

The Tibet Museum, although being small, has a large collection of original Buddhist artefacts, statues, drawings and paintings transferred right from the Himalayas.

During stats, the popular destination achieved a reputation of attracting almost one million visitors per year.

Hence, be one of our guests to explore the well-preserved medieval town of Gruyeres during a private transfer with beautiful Lake Geneva views all along the way.

Useful Information

• Speaking languages: French
• Altitude: 810m
• Nearest Airport: Geneva Airport

Weather in Gruyères

Destinations

• Crans-Montana
• Grindelwald
• Jungfraujoch
• Lauterbrunnen
• The Rhine Falls
• Villars-Gryon

Gruyeres, Cheese Museum and Chocolate Factory Tour

A bus tour to explore Swiss products and the scenic countryside from Geneva

This bus tour will allow you to explore the countryside and famous Swiss products with roundtrip transportation from Geneva.

You’ll visit a chocolate factory, where you’ll learn about the history of the world-famous Swiss chocolate. Here, you’ll have a chance to sample as much chocolate as you like. The tour will also take you to the medieval town of Gruyeres, where you’ll visit a cheese museum and gain insights into the local art of cheese-making.

You can cap off your tour with some free time in Gruyeres to explore the town, shop for souvenirs or try local specialties.

• Unlimited Swiss chocolate tasting at the chocolate factory
• Insights into the art of cheese-making at the cheese museum
• Opportunity to experience the Swiss country life in Gruyeres

What's included

• Roundtrip transportation
• Guide services
• Admission to the chocolate factory with chocolate tasting
• Admission to the cheese museum

What's Not Included

• Other food and drinks

Restrictions

• Arrive at least 15 minutes before the start time.

Languages spoken by guide

Additional information.

This tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.

If the group has less than ten participants, a trained driver-guide will lead the tour. For groups with more than ten participants, there will be an extra guide at no additional cost.

Bring your ticket with you to the attraction.

Be aware that operators may cancel for unforeseen reasons.

You must be 18 years or older, or be accompanied by an adult, to book.

Operated by Keytours SA

User ratings

Frequently asked questions, how do i book a ticket.

Select a date and time.

Choose the number of tickets.

Click through to the next page and enter your personal details.

After entering your personal details, select your payment method and enter your payment details.

Once you’ve entered your payment details successfully, you'll be redirected to your ticket page where you can check the status and details of your reservations.

You'll receive a confirmation email once the reservation is confirmed with the attraction operator. This could take some time based on the supplier.

You can view your tickets in your confirmation email or the Booking and Trips section of your account.

When do I pay?

Booking.com collects payment on behalf of the attraction operator when you book your ticket.

How do digital tickets work?

Each digital ticket contains a unique code. This is usually a QR or numerical code, but could be something else and can be found on your ticket or the PDF sent to you.

If your digital ticket contains a barcode or QR code, show it to the staff at the attraction's entrance or ticket collection point for them to scan.

For those with numerical codes, show your ticket to staff for verification.

Can I cancel or modify my tickets?

You’ll need to check the policy on the specific ticket you book. Last-minute bookings might not have free cancellation available.

When will I get my free cancellation refund?

After you cancel, we'll issue a full refund immediately. Depending on your bank or payment provider, it can take 3–10 days to be refunded to your original payment method.

Tickets and prices

Gruyeres Castle

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Gruyeres Castle - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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