Château de Gruyères

The castle, with its towers and ramparts, dominates the medieval town. The discovery of this site is a fascinating voyage across time from the Middle Ages to the XXIst century: majesty of the architecture, historical collection, imagination and emotion with an innovative multimedia show and temporary exhibitions.Seat of the Counts of Gruyere, the castle was constructed circa 1270. At the end of the XVth century campaigns of modernization conferred the aristocratic residence with a new elegance. Michel, the last Count, lost his ancestral domain in 1554 and died in exile. From 1555 until 1848, administrators of Fribourg endowed the castle with embellishment in the Baroque style. From 1849 the castle was the property of two Geneva families, the Bovy and the Balland, and it became a cultural crossroad. Artists such as Corot and Menn found inspiration in the surrounding natural beauty of the site. In 1938 the Canton of Fribourg purchased the castle and founded the present museum.