Two routes for adventurous cheesemakers
Speaking of Switzerland in culinary terms inevitably invites us to think of chocolate (which is why the inventors of the variety with milk and the bar as we know it were) . But we cannot talk about this country without mentioning ** its cheeses, its alpine dairies and the cows that give their milk.** To get to know this world of unmistakable aroma and irresistible flavor, we go to the Gruyeres region , from which the cheese that grows in its pastures borrowed its name.
We are in the canton of Freiburg –not to be confused with Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany–, where worship is Vacherin, Gruyère and traditional fondue with the AOP label (or denomination of origin) that they do with these two cheeses in the same proportion –moite-moite, as they say in French–.
Knowing the origin of the cow's milk with which it is made, the way it is made and its varieties is as simple as put on some hiking boots and head to the foot of the Moleson , one of the most emblematic and visible pre-alpine mountains in the region, and the scene, back in the 17th and 18th centuries, of commercial cheese traffic. Became a vital protein source in times of war (the French Navy was one of its most important buyers).
Two of the most attractive cheese routes or Vias du fromage start here. And aimed at the most foodie hiker because the prize comes in the form of a stop and tasting at the dairies that one finds along the way. In other words: you don't have to be super fit, it's suitable even for those allergic to the gym. That yes, the best urban desire to leave it in the car or the bus that will take you to the foot of the mountain, because this is pure nature.
We are in the Gruyère Pays-d'Enhaut Regional Natural Park , and here the only accepted Pantone is intense green, dotted with shades of the different cream color ranges of cheeses.
From cheese to cheese and I throw because it's my turn
FIRST STATION: SENTIER DES FROMAGERIES
The first path is called Feel des fromageries. There are 13 kilometers to cover in about four hours (it all depends on what each one rolls up in each cheese factory) and it starts in Moléson-sur-Gruyères.
The first stop is the cheese dairy ** Fromagerie d'Alpage , a typically Alpine chalet built in 1686** where every day, at 10 in the morning (remember, Swiss punctuality and prior reservation, if you don't want to miss it) they make around 30 Gruyère AOP cheeses, in a totally artisan way.
And at least one of them with more than 200 kilos of milk that yes or yes must be worked between two people. Seeing them introduce the cloth into the copper cauldron, placed on the fire and filled to the brim with whey, to later lift it with the help of a crane is a spectacle. Behind the glass, we can see how they cut the portions by hand and place them in the corresponding moulds.
The good thing is that At the exit, a brief tasting of different varieties awaits of the cheeses they make here – Vacherin, Petit Moleson and Lutin du Moleson. If you decide not to buy, because you don't want to feel like a consumerist tourist –at least not in the first cheese shop on the route, there are still a few more waiting–, you will most likely regret it because it will be difficult to find their cheeses outside of here . Production is limited and it's really good. You are warned.
Fromagerie d'Alpage, the first stop on our cheese route
We follow the route to Pringy, at the foot of the hill crowned by the castle of Gruyères –a visit to both the castle and the town is worth it, it is one of the best preserved and most charming medieval towns in Switzerland– and in just over an hour we ran into a family but more modern and mechanized cheese factory.
It is La Maison du Gruyere , and although the procedure is totally mechanized and the production is almost industrial, we can also see how the master cheesemakers make cheese several times a day from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Count on an interactive exhibition (with jingling bells and highly aromatic alpine hay), and shopping at the supermarket at the entrance It's a good idea (good prices, a lot of variety and, of course, the opportunity to try before choosing).
At La Maison du Gruyère we can see the master cheese makers with their hands in the dough
THE VIA LE GRUYÈRE AOP
The layout of this second route has less cheese but more history, and runs from Valsainte (north of the Gruyères region) to the shores of the spectacular Leman Lake (also known as Lake Geneva) .
It is segmented into different stages, lasting approximately four hours each, which can be accessed by public transport. And again, suitable for the whole family, including Sunday hikers.
As doing the complete route is crazy (physically and digestively), we are left with a couple of them. Think that there are more than 12 stages, which go through places as incredible as Crésuz, Charmey, Allieres or Les Avants , among others.
The beautiful scenery of Charmey
the of Lessoc-Montbovon It is one of the shortest, winding through the interior of the Gruyères Natural Park. Whoever signs up for this route, 3.4 kilometers and an approximate duration of one hour , you will discover jewels such as the covered wooden bridge of Lessoc, dating from 1667, or the stone bridge of the Basses Ciernes.
Whoever wants stronger emotions, go for one of the jewels in the crown: the one that joins Allières with Les Advances. Almost ten kilometres, with ascents included, to cover in little more than three hours of walking. But the effort will be worth it.
Along the way you will meet different mountain pastures dotted with typical alpine chalets and, this is one of the wonders, a panoramic view of Lake Leman. Once recovered from its magnificence, you have to descend towards the forest along a path that takes up the historic route, until finally reaching Les Avants.
Les Avants: the goal of the most intrepid adventurers
**TIME FOR FONDUE AND DESSERT (CHOCOLATE) **
We do not forget the fondue. If after so much walking you still want to keep putting cheese in your stomach, we leave the natural park to reach Broc , where one of the obligatory stops is located: Chez Boudji , a very charming chalet and one of the perfect alternatives for eat an authentic fondue outside Swiss time (that is, after 12 noon. If you have good contacts, they can attend you even close to 3 pm, something very unusual in the country).
And for dessert, chocolate. We continue in Broc and go to the ** Maison Cailler , one of the first Swiss chocolate houses.** Entering and doing the tour through its history (final tasting included), is one of the best rewards, despite the tourist aftertaste of the place. That yes, prepare the portfolio because It will be impossible to resist the temptation to leave without checking out and a bag full of tablets.