Spring is in the air and I'm starting to think about day trips that don't include snow sports. After looking at the different threads, I decided to start one based on a column in the onboard magazine of one of the American airlines where someone, usually a celebrity, gives you a guided tour of their city/town. So, where are do you take your visitors?


We always take our visitors to Gruyère, so come along and enjoy the day:

*Cheese Factory - See Gruyere cheese being made and sample the different varieties. Located in Pringy-Gruyère, which is right below the village of Gruyère. Cheese-making from 9 am to 11 am and from 12.30 pm to 14.30 pm, 3 to 4 times a day, depending on the season.
(Entry Fee: CHF 7.00 for adults, CHF 3.00 for children up to the age of 12)

http://www.lamaisondugruyere.ch/inde...142&Itemid=209

*Castle of Gruyère and the Village - Stroll up the main street and then tour the 13th century castle (Entry Fee CHF 9.50 for adults, CHF 3.00 for children)
http://www.chateau-gruyeres.ch/e/cha.../histoire.html

If you're starting to feel a bit hungry, stop for raspberries and double cream at one of the many restaurants or grab a sandwich from one of the stores. Depending on the weather, we either go to the Chalet
http://gruyeres-hotels.com/Anciens_s...en/default.htm
or to one of the many restaurants with a panoramic view.

*Chocolate Factory in Broc - Visit the Cailler Chocolate factory to learn how chocolate is made and to enjoy some delicious samples. Open every day from Monday-Sunday from 9.30-16:00 (the starting time of the last visit). April 1 to October 31. Free entry.
http://main.cailler.ch/caillerflash.asp

*La Cabriolle in Bulle for dinner. I always used to make the mistake of driving through Bulle until I discovered this wonderful restaurant, which has now become a destination in itself. They serve three types of fondue, fondue moitié-motié (equal parts of Gruyère cheese and Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese), fondue Vacherin (made from Vacherin cheese and water instead of white wine), and their famous goat cheese fondue, which has won some culinary awards. This restaurant has lots of atmospere, the servers are friendly, and the food is delicious. And they're open 7 days a week! It's always very busy in the evenings, so I would recommend reservations. If you sit on the ground floor, wander upstairs because the decor is quite original.

http://www.la-cabriolle-bulle.ch/sites/main/

Variations:

If you want to change the itinerary to include more time outdoors, go to Moléson-sur-Gruyére for downhill scootering, mountainkarting, or miniature golfing. From May 3 until September 30, you can hike to an alpine hut and see cheesemaking the old fashioned way. http://www.moleson.ch/default.asp?langue=e&design=2

If it's raining and you want to spend more time indoors, then go to the Museum of the Gruyére Region in Bulle. (Entry fee CHF 8.00 for adults)
http://www.musee-gruerien.ch/en/index.htm

From Montreux, the Chocolate Train offers a visit to the cheese factory, the castle, and the chocolate factory.

May-June and September-October:Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays