Castle of Gruyeres

About

Erected between 1270 and 1282, Gruyères Castle follows Savoy’s typical plan for square-shaped fortifications. In 1554, Count Michel’s debts cost him ownership of his castle, which became home to his creditors’ representatives between 1555 and 1798. The castle was restored in 1849 as a summer residence, and bought back by the canton of Fribourg in 1938, who made it into a museum. Today, a self-guided tour brings visitors past medieval stained-glass windows, capes of the Order of the Golden Fleece, paintings by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, and vibrantly painted, preserved rooms. If one castle isn’t enough, the smaller castle of St. German situated nearby houses a H. R. Giger museum showcasing the fantastical art of the Oscar-winning artist.