Journeymarvel.com – Standing amidst the breathtaking beauty of nature, this beautiful town is born from the distinct architectural style of its buildings. A city with classic vibes on the slopes of hills, it holds precious gems that have gained global fame through its uniqueness. This is the portrait of Gruyères, a beautiful town known as the producer of the world’s most famous cheese with a distinctive taste.
Gruyères is a cheese town filled with charming natural landscapes akin to a world paradise and an incredibly soothing atmosphere. This peaceful Gruyères town is situated in the Fribourg Alps mountain region, at the foot of Mount Bulle, in the Fribourg canton, La Gruyères district, southwest Switzerland. Covering an area of 28.44 km2, Gruyères has its capital in Bulle. This town, rich in historical ancient civilization remnants, is inhabited by a population of 2,205 people.
The town, offering a medieval atmosphere, is surrounded by cobblestone streets, hillsides, lakes, rivers, lush green trees, and beautifully arranged flowers. Gruyères is famous for its dairy farms, milk processing, and the finest cheese processing it owns. The majority of the inhabitants of the Gruyères region adhere to the Roman Catholic religion and use French as their national language.
The origin of the name Gruyères comes from the heron bird, grue, as a symbol of the La Gruyères nobility in 923-1555. Some other historical sources mention that Gruyères was taken from the word gruyer, the name of a forest ranger at that time. Starting from this historical root, the cheese district in Switzerland is still called Gruyères to this day.
The history of Gruyères cheese production began in the 12th century as an ancestral tradition. In 1115, the inhabitants of Gruyères, with expertise in processing dairy cows they raised, began producing cheese. The cheese-making process at that time was still very traditional and used equipment donated by monks. The cheese produced was large in size with a relatively low moisture content. The aim was to prevent the cheese from spoiling easily during the journey down the mountain and to last throughout the summer.
The cheese made by the inhabitants of Gruyères was sold to Italy and France. In the 17th century, the local community began to claim official recognition of Gruyères cheese. In the 18th century, Gruyères cheese production expanded to the Jura region, Vaud canton, France, and Neuchâtel. In the 19th century, claims for Gruyères cheese were made again due to frequent counterfeiting and defensive tools.
In the 21st century, discussions were held by three countries: France, Italy, and Spain. At that time, Gruyères cheese was successfully protected regarding its origin and denomination of goods through the signing of agreed-upon agreements. Until in 2001, Gruyères cheese received national-level recognition in the form of an AOC label. Then, in 2011, Gruyères cheese successfully obtained recognition, namely the AOP label from all over Europe. AOP is the French translation of PDO (Product Designation of Origin). Origin Designation is a system that protects cultural and gastronomic heritage. This system ensures the authenticity and uniqueness of the product. They ensure that production follows strict specifications established through traditional and ancestral knowledge.
After going through a long epic history, the town of Gruyères has transformed into a region with a sensation of life that successfully captivates the world. In its development, Gruyères is mentioned as the cheese capital of the world. The complex and famous production of Gruyères cheese worldwide is located in Bulle. The texture of Gruyères cheese made from raw cow’s milk is very smooth, creamy, denser, crumbly, and fragrant. This handmade cheese has a fruity and herbal aroma and melts on the tongue. Matured Gruyères cheese comes in delicious and firmer flavor variants. Gruyères cheese is sold at a price of A$ 72/kg.
The characteristics of Gruyères cheese are its natural brown color and wrinkled skin. As for the color of the cheese itself, it is dark yellow. This is because the maturation process is longer, ranging from 5 months to 12 months. In the manufacturing process, Gruyères cheese is not pasteurized. The shape of this Gruyères cheese is quite unique, round with a height of 10 cm-13 cm and a diameter of 58 cm-66 cm. In addition, there are small holes in the inside of the cheese with a diameter of 4 mm-5 mm. Moreover, cheese is not only a decoration but is often used in many classic Swiss dishes. Starting from fondue to raclette as winter dishes, as well as Gruyère cream and raspberry as summer dishes.
Tourists who want to visit to taste Gruyères cheese can use tour packages or several alternative means of transportation. Starting from using airplanes, trains, cars, to walking along every inch of the Gruyères town. Activities that tourists can do while in Gruyères include touring the old town of Gruyères while enjoying the fresh air and beautiful city views. Visitors can go to cheese festival events or come to cheese-making factories with traditional methods at La Maison du Gruyères.
Tourists can do photography, hiking, skiing, going to the Le Molèson village, and hiking. Other tourist destinations near the town of Gruyères that can be visited are the Swiss chocolate factory Maison Cailler, Gruyères Castle, Tibet Museum Gruyères, HR Giger bar, and HR Giger Museum Bar. The various culinary delights that thrive in the Gruyères region include bread, pickles, famous desserts such as meringue and double cream, and chalet soup. Gruyères also offers accommodations for visitors such as Swiss Gruyères Hotel, Au Soleil de Gruyères Chez Chantal, Gruyères Room, La Fleur de Lys Gruyères, Le Saint Georges, and Hotel de Ville Gruyères.
The economic sector of the town of Gruyères is built by tourist attractions, agriculture, forestry, livestock farming, wood and straw trading, cheese and chocolate sales, as well as sales of small and large animals. Then, supported by the hospitality sector, handicrafts sector, construction sector, retail and wholesale sector, and gastronomy sector.
In short, Gruyères is the world’s best cheese-producing town that indulges the eyes with the beauty of its green and blue natural scenery. Gruyères keeps historic stories that are in harmony with unforgettable memories through its tourist destinations. Life in this tranquil Gruyères town is surrounded by the slopes of the mountains and accompanied by traditional processes that stand the test of time.
