A Small Medieval Town


This is a fortified medieval castle
in a small town high up on a hill overlooking the green landscape below
It's Le Château de Gruyères
in the canton of Fribourg.

A canton is a way to divide the land of a country.
It is like dividing the country into different regions or states.
The word comes from the Latin: canto
which means: 'a section of a country'.

It's a steep climb up to the little town on the hill
before we can go through the archway at the top to reach the centre.

Glancing down into the valley below as the castle walls get closer.

This is the main street with cobbled paths.
No cars are allowed to circulate and have to be left down below.

A closer view of the mountain in the background
called Le Moléson.
It's a well-known landmark in this canton.
On the upper right, against the sky,
you can see see a sign which says Hotel de Ville.
The bird depicted in the middle is a stork (la grue in French)
which is the symbol of the Gruyères region.

Perhaps you have tasted the famous Swiss cheese
called Gruyère which is made in this region.

The town is beautifully decorated with geraniums in all the windows 
and on the terraces.
People sat outside, many of them eating cheese fondue, among other specialities.

There are many old doors with carvings and decorative stonework.
This one dates back to 1591.

Equally charming windows adorn old facades.
Don't you love the points on the extremity of the shutters
which slot into the shape of the stonework around the windows?

Could this be the door to the cellar full of vintage wines?

Heart shapes are everywhere, 
carved in the window boxes
and lacy hangings in the windows.

Doesn't this bench look inviting?
A place to sit and watch the people passing by.

I couldn't resist these windows with their reflections of the sky and clouds.

More attractive stone work with the pointed scallops
typical to the Renaissance style.
In the wrought-iron work,
we can see the symbolic grue (stork) once again.

Isn't this a romantic window?
Could there be a young damsel inside
waiting for her gallant cavalier to pass by?

Now I will show you how we finished off our visit
to this picturesque town
Does it look good?
Besides the cheese fondue,
this is another typical dish from this area:
Fruit of the season, served with meringues
and incredibly thick Gruyère cream.
Have you ever seen cream this thick in its natural state?

Go on!
Taste a bit.
I've put three juicy blueberries there just for you!


Here is the castle seen from afar.
This photo was not taken by me.



21 comments

  1. Oh what a lovely trip to this Village. Love all the flowers in the windows.
    We don't have houses like that in Norway. I wish one day to take a trip down to mid Europe.
    Mouthwatering dessert ;)
    Have a nice week.

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  2. Love this place, Sandra! My wife and I have spent time there on two different trips to Switzerland. As passionate photographer, I love the beautiful architecture, the windows and doors, and the gruyere cheese, of course, is second to none in the world.

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  3. Right . . .that's IT . . . I am definitely going to have to visit Switzerland.

    Thanks for the photo tour! Love the dessert . . .thanks for leaving me some!
    Hugs, Sarn xxx

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  4. Wow, such a lovely place! I love all the door and windows! Such beautiful architecture. Thanks for the tour!
    Kate :}

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  5. A beautiful place! I'm trying not to be envious of all the old doors and windows you saw! This area is just fascinating!

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  6. That cream looks a bit like clotted cream. What a picturesque town!

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  7. My goodness, this is a place of fairy tales! How I would love to peek behind the delightful doors and peer inside the beautiful windows. I've fallen in love!

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  8. Love your architectural shots showing the lovely details found in Gruyères. I do like that cheese! Thanks for sharing the yummy dessert.

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  9. I LOVE your photos, Sandra! Your eye for details is so good! Switzerland is a wonderful country! I've been there a few times, and I really want to go back soon! We spent 5 weeks in the lovely alpine village Adelboden when our youngest was only 6 months, and we've wanted to go back with the whole family ever since! My great-grandmother Emma was Swiss (from Basel) so in my family her traditons and recipies have been passed down through the generations. We always eat a special vanilla/creampudding for Christmas, made from her handwritten recipe....(quite similar to Panna Cotta actually, but we just call it Bestemamma (Grossmutti) pudding. Please keep feeding ut with lovely scenery and yummy Swiss dishes. I pretend to travel through your beatiful blog! Big hug:-)

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  10. This travel story is just wonderful, Sandra. All the photos are quite beautiful! And the berries are my favorite berry..so wish I could really taste them!

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  11. I would love exploring here. Yes I have heard of that cheese and really love almost all cheeses.

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  12. such a beautiful place to explore! and a lovely day. i loved all the details you captured for us and you ;-) i have never heard of Gruyère cream.I always thought of Gruyère as a cheese. yum! thank you and lovely end of summer into Autumn to you.

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  13. What a wonderful place to visit, Sandra. That castle is amazing!

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  14. I love Gruyere cheese. So nice to see you beautiful photos from where it originates.

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  15. Lucky you getting to visit a magical place like this, Sandra! The beautiful historical details are amazing! Thanks for sharing :)

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  16. Oh my, this is straight out of a fairytale! A beautiful and very charming place, Sandra! Thanks you for taking us along on this tour...and for a bite of that very delicious looking dessert!

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  17. Enjoying your beautiful photos as always; and that dessert...wow! xxx

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  18. What a wonderful place! And thicker than clotted cream ... gosh.

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  19. Beautiful Sandra. You've captured it perfectly. I love all your window pics. Gruyere is such a lovely place, I've visited so many time with family and friends but i never get bored. I always find something new to oohh and aahh over. And that dessert is to die for. Cute way of serving it. I should remember that next time I serve it at home.
    Xxx
    Annette

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  20. Oh, Sandra, what a lovely town! I ADORE those windows and doors -- each beautiful in its own way. I am surprised that the main street is so wide -- usually medieval towns have narrow lanes and alleys. Thanks for the tour!

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  21. Oh I am so sorry I missed this. So charming...oh and Sandra the hearts!

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