Majestueusement perché sur un rocher (la Motte) à l’entrée du village depuis le 15e siècle, le temple de Château-d’Œx est aujourd’hui un lieu emblématique de la région. A l’intérieur, on observe également de beaux vitraux du milieu du 20e siècle.
Built in 1666, this house was restored in 1962. It is one of the most well preserved homes in the Intyamon.
Its magnificient cermonial façade has remarkably sculpted embracing window and door frames. The interior features a beautiful 1664 molasse w...
Built by Jean-Louis Dufour between 1873 and 1874 in Les Avants, the Grand Hôtel opened its doors to clients in 1877. Several famous guests have been known to stay here, notably Ernest Hemingway, who references Les Avants in his book Farewell to Arms....
This architectural gem is tucked into the Coumatta forest. The forest has been protected from logging since the 17th century because of its role stabilizing the land and protecting against avalanches. The church, in its current form, dates to 1589, ...
The wood buildings of L’Etivaz, some of which date to the 16th century, bare witness to a rich architectural heritage. Spreading over 7 km in the Torneresse valley, you will find this charming hamlet of very old homes, in a pastoral setting.
The h...
On July 8th, 1910 the idea for the funicular was born. Working at a frantic pace, civil workers completed the funicular in just 5 months. The track runs for 531 meters at an impressive slope of 54.5%. To make all this possible three works of art we...
Rougemont's Saint-Nicolas Church was built by Cluny monks in the late 11th century. The church's architecture has elements of Romanesque architecture (classical model Cluny Latin cross), as well as the Reformation and the Bernese presence (shortened...
This dam, located along the Jogne river, is responsible for Montsalvens lake. Built between 1918 and 1921 by engineer Heinrich Eduard Gruner, it was the first arch dam in Europe with both horizontal et vertical curves. 52m high and 110m long, its con...
It is thanks to Jean-François Jaquet whose son miraculously survived an avalanche, that this chapel was constructed. The interior is decorated in immaculate neoclassic style. It evokes striped fabric with friezes and organic decoration and a faux arc...
This chapel is also known as Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (our lady of the snow) chapel because according to legend, the Virgin Mary herself chose the spot for this chapel by making snow flakes fall here in August. Built in 1684, the chapel has an octagonal...
Built in 1897, the chapel is an example of neo-gothic architecture. Its decorative murals are of the same origin as it solid oak altar. The Virgin and Child still sit here today, surrounded by Saint Philomène and Saint Elisabeth.
These buildings all share a common characteristic: their façades are either carved or painted. At the summit of each home, you will see its date of construction, a text which is often biblical, as well as the name of the owners and the carpenter. Th...
It can already be observed on a map from 1578. Threatening to crumble and fall, the bridge was restored 1993. During this restoration work the original paving was rediscovered revealing ruts characteristic of horse-drawn cart passage.
Just above the village of Grandvillard, the Tâna stream traverses layers of vertical limestone rock before falling dozens of meters. This spectacular waterfall continues to wear away at the rock, which sometimes causes rock slides. A portion of the ...
Cerniat is a typical agricultural mountain village with scattered structures (farms). The village was partially reconstructed at the end of the 19th century : the school and hotel in Heimatstil style (multi-faceted roofs and outdoor mural paintings)....
Nesting in the center of the Jogne valley, Charmey is a subalpine village at about 900 meters elevation. Its population (more than 1800 people) is growing: its location is prized for its high quality of life. Living traditions, beautifully preserved...
In the Jogne valley, at 900 meters altitude, Chatel-sur-Montsalvens enjoys an ideal geographical location, resting on the hillside like a balcony overlooking the valley and man-made lake of the same name. It also has an outstanding view of the Dent...
Cited as early as 1255, Montbovon has long been a busy crossroads. Located along the Sarine, it is the junction of the roads of three worlds: the Gruyère, the Pays-d’Enhaut, and the Lake Geneva basin. This crossroads is also emphasized by the meetin...
The history of the town of Gruyères is intimately tied to that of the family of counts of the same name. Mentioned for the first time in the 12th century, they distinguish themselves by their title (very few held this title amongst the counts of Sav...
It is known as the Belluard (meaning boulevard) passageway and fortifications. Two Gruérien warriors are depicted on the fortified gate. These warriors, Claremboz et Bras de Fer ("Iron Arms"), fought off the first assault of the Oberland Everdes war ...
Located on the right bank of the Sarine, a strong pastoral economy and highly developed cheese market contributed to the wealth of Grandvillard. The result is a strongly urbanized village of narrow streets, with many opulent-looking buildings, stone ...
This community is located on the slopes above Montslavens Lake, with an unobstructed view from its some 910 meters elevation. In the 17th century the village was completely destroyed by a fire. In 1667, the vicarage was the only building that escape...
Located in the Prealps, south of Château-d'Œx on the left bank of the Sarine river, La Pierreuse reserve encompasses 34 square kilometers of mid-mountain terrain. It extends from the Gummfluh mountain range to the Pic Chaussy range. La Pierreuse is ...
The village of Lessoc is in the federal inventory of sites of national importance. It is made up of a dense network of houses and farms from the golden age of Gruyère, with strong presence of late gothic decor (window and door frames) modeled after t...
Fires have ravaged Rossinière three times in its history. Despite the fires, the village is still home to magnificent 17th and 18th century wooden buildings. The most well-known is the Grand Chalet, classified as a monument of national importance. T...
Despite the route's dangers and sometimes questionable condition, this path had two big advantages: it was the shortest route between the Pays-d’Enhaut, the Gruyères, and Léman (Lake Geneva), and it was passable almost year-round. It was also an imp...
The village of Estavannens is registered in the inventory of federal sites of national importance for its two dense and homogenous hamlets made up of stone and wood houses from the 16th- 19th century.
Since 1956, the Poya d’Estavannes has been an im...
Rougemont gets its name from the red rocks on its northern slopes. The town was founded at the beginning of the 11th century by Cluny monks who built their priory here. Until the end of the 19th century, livestock and milk production made up most o...
The oratory, dedicated to Saint Blaise, was built in 1690. When Foot-and-mouth disease plagued the region, wiping out entire herds, the cows of Crésuz remained untouched. The chapel is a thank you for the preservation of the herds who then followed...
A young flour miller, named Maturin, regularly passed through this somber forest on his way to deliver flour to Charmey, One evening he stayed a little later then usual at the café de l’Etoile. On his especially nocturnal walk home, he was attacked b...
While strolling through the village of Les Avants, check out this small wooden chapel and the triptyque depicting the Virgin Mary and child surrounded by two angels, with the Dent de Jaman mountain as the backdrop.
Also called the Pettolaz home for François Pettolaz its owner from 1731-1806. François Pettolaz was one of the most important cheese merchants of his time. In 1787, the home was adopted into the Fribourg patrimony.
Neirivue was almost entirely destroyed during a violent fire which ravaged the village on July 19th, 1904. The reconstruction of the village allowed for industrial development with factories and warehouses (wood, furniture, fabric) many of which have...
First mentioned in the 12th century, all that's left of Montsalvens Castle today is its tower, which was built around 1260. The site was restored in 1671 but was abandoned soon after.
Several groupings of homes along the old path linking the Pays-d’Enhaut to the Intyamon Valley via the La Petite Chia pass. The La Tine Bridge was built in 1785. Its two archs span the Sarine, connecting the hamlets to the le chemin royal ("royal pa...
An important group of crosses marking missions (spiritual retreat destinations and pilgrimages) and summits is located in Gruyère. Throughout the region, all villages and their surroundings are dotted with crosses, despite the fact the fact that in ...
The Sarine Alluvial Zone is located south of the village of Château-d’Œx, at 900 altitude. The environment through which the Sarine flows remains close to its natural state, with an impressive variety of flora. Because this section of the Sarine is n...
At Chaudanne Spring, water seems to emerge from the depths of the Earth. Water seeps into the ground on the east slope of the Vanils Range and joins an interminable underground network of subterranean galleries, only to reach the surface after trave...
With its furnace, anvil and rows of hammers all still intact, the Old Smithy in Charmey bears witness to the generations of craftsmen who once faithfully served the local farming community. Frédy Roos, son of the village’s last farrier, has lovingly ...
Le lieu-dit Les Planches, qui signifie replat, se situe à la limite entre la commune de Crésuz de celle de Val de Charmey. Situé à plus de 1000m d’altitude, ce tracé historique (IVS d’importance régional) constituait jusqu’à la deuxième moitié du 19è...
Alors que le clocher actuel date, à la base, de 1673, l'église fut reconstruite à plusieurs reprises. Elle fut rebâtie une première fois en 1567, puis de 1735 à 1739 et consacrée en 1738 par Monseigneur Duding qui la dédie à Saint Laurent. Des modif...
Started in 1661, this symmetric, duplex chalet was completed in 1664. The south façade features rich carved and painted decoration. Finishing work (doors, windows, iron-work, pictorial decoration) followed and was completed in 1670.
Named for the Ma...
La Tine Bridge was built in 1785. Its twin arches over the Sarine connect local hamlets to the chemin royal (royal path) that Leurs Excellences de Berne (the excellencies of Bern) had built in 1748. Today, the bridge is located in the main artery of ...
On the old stone path linking the village of Lessoc to Montbovon, sits the most complete, well-preserved wood covered-bridge in the canton of Fribourg. The construction date is carved into the oak crossbar on the right bank: 1667.
The Grand Chemin that leads to the Ancien Comté on the left bank of the Sarine meets the Hongrin River Gorge before the village of Montbovon. Three road bridges and one railroad bridge constructed during the last four centuries meet at this intersect...
Château-d’Œx, with its double calling as a haven of agriculture and tourism, includes the villages and hamlets of Moulins, l’Etivaz, La Lécherette, Gérignoz, and Granges. Architectural gems dot the region: in town a group of marvelous stone buildings...
Les Avants developed a notable hotel industry starting the middle of the 19th century with the arrival of public transportation. The village has a unique regional architecture. In Sonloup, the funicular (built in 1911), with its distinctive red cars,...
The Jogne Gorge is a deep gash in the Earth sculpted by underground stream systems. The gorge links the Jogne Valley, at 800 m altitude, to the Sarine Valley, about 100 meters below. About 2 km long, the gorge is very narrow, with steep vertical side...
In the canton of Fribourg there is almost one organised singer for every 35 inhabitants. This exceptional density can be explained by a centuries-old tradition firmly rooted in the region's history.
Although the choral movement has developed in all ...
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