Castle of Gruyères

Gruyere Castle is one of the most visited places in Switzerland by tourists. It is located on a high hill, at the foot of which a tiny town, bearing the name of the castle, nestled comfortably. Green Swiss landscapes, a city that retains the appearance of the Middle Ages and a fairy-tale castle at the head of it all, a truly magical view that anyone will like.

History of the castle of Gruyères

According to the legends, the castle of Gruyere was founded in the fifth century by the leader of the Vandal tribe named Gruerius. But, closer to reality, dating to the thirteenth century, and in the name of the royal forester Grand Gruer, the lands were granted to him for his service. Also, the name of the city and the castle is associated with a crane, which is depicted on the family coat of arms of the family, grue - a crane from French.

Active construction and strengthening of the castle-fortress took place in the 15th century, but the oldest building dates back to the 13th century. In the middle of the 16th century, the Gruyeres, experiencing financial difficulties, sold the castle of Gruyères to the city of Friborg and it was used as a residence for the city heads. And in the 19th century, the Bovi brothers acquired the fortress. They contributed to the restoration and decoration of the castle, and it served as their summer residence. In 1938, the city of Friborg repurchased the castle of Gruyères and made it public, turning it into a museum.

Sights of Gruyère Castle

The Gruyère castle itself is already a unique building, which has survived in a beautiful form to this day. But at the same time, it is necessary to separately mention some of its parts.

• The Count's Hall - the master bedroom with a four-poster bed, a carved armchair at the desk. Many interior objects in these chambers are over 300-400 years old.
• Hunting hall - an obligatory attribute of a medieval deputy, hung with horns and furnished with stuffed animals.
• Salon Corot - a room decorated with brushes by artists of the 19th century. A very refined room, different from other medieval halls of the castle.
• The chapel of St. John, inside the chapel is decorated with stained glass windows, paintings and wooden sculptures of the 15th century. The chapel itself, the same age as the castle, was built in the 13th century.
• From one of the balconies of the castle, you can see the French garden of the 19th century, laid out near the fortress walls, and then the forest and majestic mountains.

Legends of Gruyere Castle

The history of almost any castle is intertwined with legends and fairy tales, Gruyere is no exception. Starting with the legend of the founding of the castle by the leader of the Vandals and continuing with the romantic story of the shepherdess Luce. Luce was the sweetest and most charming among the shepherds, and of course, Comte Jean Gruyère noticed the beautiful creature. How exactly the relationship between the count and the shepherdess developed and whether they existed at all, no one knows for sure, but the castle has a room dedicated to the girl.

One of the exhibits of the castle-museum of Gruyères is a hand. According to one version, it belongs to an Egyptian mummy, according to another, it is a trophy from the battlefield. There is also an opinion that the hand remained unidentified after the fire that allegedly happened in the castle at the beginning of the 15th century.

There is also a legend about how goats and women saved the fortress during the siege. There are many stories, you can listen and read them for a long time, but it’s better, of course, to see everything with your own eyes.