Day 1:
Time for the last holiday of year 2023!
And also exploring a country I have never been to.
Bye, see you in Switzerland in 13hrs!
Dinner + supper before the flight!
We are taking Singapore Airline which includes food but usually when I'm force to wake up (yes, I sleep a lot on the plane), I couldn't finish the meal, so I prefer to eat when I'm fully awake.
Off we go!
First meal on the plane.
I like window seats because I love to look out the window (when I'm not sleeping)!
Second meal on plane.
Reaching soon!
Hello Zurich airport!
The Zurich airport has a very industry design style!
Just because Switzerland is famous for their chocolate so... (pardon our bare face after the long flight!)
Need to take the airport internal tram to the immigration and bag claim.
Out the immigration and now walking over to the train station.
The train station is inside the airport shopping mall.
Before we take the train, we went into Coop supermarket to grab some drinks because the train ride will take a while to reach our next destination.
Operating Hours: 6am - 11pm (Monday to Sunday)
Haha look what we found in the supermarket!
Time to head off to somewhere further before coming back to Zurich.
We bought the 8 days Swiss travel pass from Klook, so we can travel around the country in ease.
Purchase here: Swiss Travel Pass - Klook Singapore
This is how the Swiss pass looks like. I printed it out so I can easily pull out from my bag (and in case my mobile phone has no battery) to show the control staff.
You can download this app to check the train schedule.
You can see different train schedule and route, so you can choose whichever way that matches your timing.
We are going to take the train from Flughafen station to Gruyères (pronounce as Gui-yer).
Anyway, we met a nice lady approaching us asking are we Singaporean, and we are surprised that she actually guess our nationality correctly! We thought it might be our accent (if you know how Singlish sounds like), but she told us is because of the Merlion on my luggage and because she uses to live in Singapore for years, so she is familiar with the Merlion! Haha, I guess my luggage represent me very well!
This is roughly how the route we decided to take will look like if there isn't any delay or changes. The app even shows how much is the trip which is quite handy in case you didn't have the Swiss pass.
Our train is here!
Double decker train!
Trying our very best not to block the walkway because there is nowhere to store our luggage, luckily the people are very understanding.
Here we encounter our first control staff checking our Swiss pass. Look how handy is the printed Swiss pass even though we might not get check on all our train ride.
(I laminated mine while Wen kept it in plastic sleeve to keep it neat and untorn for the whole 8 days. Haha!)
I slept a lot on the plane, so I am very awake to enjoy the view outside during our train ride.
After about 1hr 50mins ride, here we are at our first transfer station, Fribourg station.
Walking to another platform for our next train.
You know you are out of city when you see free roam farm animals everywhere.
Look! We saw a rainbow!
After about 1hr train ride, we reached the Broc-Village station.
Train station location: 1636 Broc, Switzerland
Just nice we reach the station at 12pm and got to enjoy the beautiful sound of the charms from the church.
We will be taking bus 260 from here to our final destination from the bus stop where we are standing at, not at the bus stop behind us in this picture.
Taking our bus from this bus stop.
Bus schedule for bus 260.
Bus not here yet so we stay around to take some picture of the place!
Our bus is here!
Look at the view!
Finally reached Gruyeres Ville!
Before walking into the village square, we got greeted by a group of sheep! The bell on their neck is like music to the view!
Loving the view!
Do you know Gruyeres are famous for their cheese? As a cheese lover, how can I not visit this place right?
Gruyeres will hold cheese festival yearly here on first Sunday in May but unfortunately, it's November now.
We will be staying in this small little town for the next two night!
Our hotel for the next two night.
Website: https://www.lesaintgeorges.ch
Checking in at the hotel lobby.
There is no lift, luckily that the staff help us carry our luggage up.
Tada! Our room.
Nespresso coffee & tea available for free.
The view outside our window.
Bathroom.
Off to hunt for lunch!
We walked over to Hotel De Gruyeres and decided to have lunch at their hotel restaurant.
We have restaurant at our own hotel too, but we thought of having dinner there, so we didn't had lunch there.
Website: https://www.gruyereshotels.ch/en/
First coffee of the day!
We ordered a Grillades Du Chalet, which is mixed grill meat to share. First time trying this food, so we do not know what to expect but what can go wrong with grill meat right? The steaming hot mini potato is yummy by the way; we almost finish all the potato!
After lunch, took the bus 260 again from Gruyeres Ville to the Gruyeres train station. Here's the timetable for the bus from Gruyères Ville.
Bus stop location: 1663 Gruyères, Switzerland
Train not moving yet so we decided to take picture with the La Gruyère wording.
Train station location: 1663 Gruyères, Switzerland
Here we are at the Bulle, which is just 1 station away from Gruyeres.
This train station looks like some art museum, isn't it?
Apartment here seems to be more mordern.
Among the slightly more modern building, there is a castle, the Château De Bulle here.
Operating Hours: 24hrs
So, basically, it's free entry with no information about the castle and we can't go in those doors.
(If you are interested to know the history of this castle, you can check Wikipedia.)
The leaf on the wall looks like a painting, isn't it?
The garden in the castle.
I see many people took pictures of the garden with beautiful flowers, but we only see a very dull and boring garden. Haha!
I don't know what is that, maybe a playground?
Done looking at the castle... wall. Haha!
Continue to explore the Bulle town and admire the architecture.
Interesting building!
Ice cream break!
Operating Hours: 8am -7pm (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday)
8am - 9pm (Friday & Saturday)
Closed (Tuesday)
All looks good! Too many choices so we decided to order the Brioches avec Glace (a.k.a bread with ice cream) so that we can have 3 different ice cream flavors.
Tada! Ice cream and people watching!
Sky is getting dark, time to head back to Gruyères Ville.
Train needs a while to arrive, so we went to Migros supermarket to kill some time.
Operating Hours: 6am - 9pm (Monday to Friday)
7am - 8pm (Saturday & Sunday)
This water looks... healthy.
Look what we found! All the mini size sauces! So cute!
Let's head back!
Train station location: 1630 Bulle, Switzerland
Back to Gruyères and a cutie was at the station to greet everyone (nah... it didn't greet us but was just playing with its owner)!
Beside the Gruyères station, there is this Chocolate de Gruyères, we went in to have a look but didn't get any, but they have some special chocolate there.
Address: (Update: They have relocated to Gruyères Ville) Rue du Bourg 8, 1663 Gruyères, Switzerland
Operating Hours: 9am - 6pm (Monday to Sunday)
Not hungry yet so we went shopping around.
Saw this cheese shop call La Chaudière Fromagerie Cremerie and decided to have a look.
Operating Hours: 8am - 7pm (Monday to Sunday)
We already plan to visit the cheese museum, so we never take a look at their cheese selection, but they do sell other things as well. They even sell cheese fondue pot.
Gruyères Ville are a very touristy place but maybe we come at a quiet season so there aren't many people here but I'm definitely not complaining because I'm loving the quietness.
While walking around, I got attracted by the stones outside this souvenir store call Edelweiss.
Operating Hours: Unkown
I mean, how cute is these stones right? The owl is so cute!
Went into the shop and saw them selling the cow bell too.
So many different sizes!
My friend gave me one many years ago, so I didn't get any, but Wen got herself one cow bell!
The lady is so friendly, despite her limited English, she still tries her best to tell us more about cow bells. She even shakes a few big ones and asks us to listen to the beautiful sound!
Oh ya, she told us the stones outside is by local artist and the stone will change colour with it comes in contact with water.
Listen to the sound of the big bell!
Dinner time!
We wanted to dine at our hotel restaurant, but it was full house. The staff then intro us to this restaurant, which is just next door, call Auberge de la Halle.
Operating Hours: 9am - 11.30pm (Monday to Sunday)
The food is actually nice, but we didn't expect the portion be so big! We should have just order 1 dish to share. Haha!
Anyway, after a super heavy dinner, time to head back to our hotel to rest.
Listen to the sound of the small cow bell before we sleep, Good night!
Day 2:
Good morning!
Nice weather to start the day!
Took Bus 260 from Gruyères Ville to La Masion Du Gruyères which is the Gruyères cheese museum and located opposite of the Gruyères train station.
Operating Hours: 7.30am - 6.30pm (Monday to Sunday)
Entrance ticket is 7CHF (=SGD$10.60) per adult and it comes with a small pack of cheese!
(Please note that you can enter for free if you are using Swiss travel pass! We didn't check before we pay, and they will not ask if you are holding to the Swiss travel pass so you have to tell them yourself when you are getting the tickets. Don't be careless like us!)
Received a device in our selected languages to help us understand more.
Smelling the different grass that the cows are eating.
Just in time to watch the cheese making progress. If you are interested in watching, please visit the museum from 9am to 12.30pm, they will exhibit the cheese making procedure 2 to 4 times per day depend on the season. Check their website for more information!
This is how the cheese will look like! How I wish I can bring back 1 whole piece uncut cheese back, but I know I can't! Haha!
Will be back after lunch to get some cheese!
This is the different type of cheese! I prefer 7-8 months and 9-10 months cheese!
Lunch at the restaurant at La Masion Du Gruyères!
Look at the cheese lamp!
No English menu but luckily, we have a nice and friendly staff helping our table to help us translate and recommend.
Need my caffeine fixed before meal!
How can we not eat cheese fondue when we are in Switzerland and moreover a cheese museum in Switzerland right?
Ordered a Risotto too.
Risotto is nice.
But the cheese fondue is superb!
Our heart bleeds a little every time we see the bill! Haha! But to be honest I am expecting a higher bill since it's at a touristy place.
Shopping time!
My cheese loot!
Heading off to Cailler chocolate museum next! There is 2 different ways to reach.
1 is taking bus 260 to Broc Village station and take the train for 1 station.
Here's the bus timetable for the bus outside the Gruyères train station.
Bus stop location: 1663 Gruyères, Switzerland
The other way is taking train from Gruyères train station to Bulle station (1 station) and transfer to another train and take 1 more station.
We decided to take the train because the train came slightly earlier than the bus.
Back to Bulle station, the art museum look-a-like station! Took some photo while waiting for our next train.
Off we go!
The Masion Cailler is located a short distance from the Broc-Fabrique (Broc-Chocolaterie) station.
Train station location: Rue Jules Bellet, 1636 Broc, Switzerland
Very instagrammable station!
Walking over to the Maison Cailler.
Cailler Chocolate is 1 of the more famous and commercial chocolate brands that many people know! So, since it's near Gruyères, of course we have to drop by to their museum to have a look!
Operating Hours: 10am - 6pm (Monday to Sunday)
Getting our tickets.
Here's the price of the entrance tickets but if you are using the Swiss travel pass, it will be free entry.
Chocolate bar ticket!
There is free locker (need a coin to use but will get back once we finish using) to put our stuff! It's warm inside so we left our jacket in the locker.
We didn't realise there is timing to enter the museum, so we blindly queue to enter and of course we didn't manage to enter! Haha!
Since we can't enter yet, so we walk around to explore. Saw a chocolate workshop going on but, it's a must to make a reservation for the workshop so we didn't join the workshop. The workshop looks fun though.
Anyway, reservation slot usually open 3 months in advance so if you are interested, be fast before all the slot is gone! Price of the workshop depends on which kind of chocolate workshop you choose, ranging from 30CHF (=SGD$45.50) to 95CHF (=SGD$144).
And we went to the chocolate store to see the wide range of Cailler chocolate.
Time for us to enter! If you are not sure what time is your slot, it's printed on the tickets (we didn't realise just now! Haha).
Love the chocolate bar guide device!
The chocolate museum gives a Universal Studio vibe! Haha!
Cailler and Nestle are the same family by the way.
We actually get to see the chocolate making procedure.
There is chocolate bar photo wall for people to take picture!
Free taster!
Following the steps to be the chocolate tester.
Finally, can eat the chocolate!
History of Cailler.
More chocolate to try!
All chocolates are free to taste but please just take 1 each flavor ya!
End of the "tour" is the chocolate mold that Cailler used.
Spend a good 1hr inside and time to go back!
We are lucky to board the Cailler chocolate train!
Eating our Cailler chocolate in a Cailler chocolate train!
Back to Broc-Village station to take our bus 260.
Too cold to wait at the bus stop so we are hiding in the waiting room at the train station. The screen shows both the upcoming train and bus time.
Back to Gruyères Ville and the sky turn dark so quickly!
Dinner at our hotel restaurant!
Operating Hours: Unknown
Not so busy today, therefore we manage to get a table.
Now we learn the lesson, we just order 1 main dish and a salad to share.
Pizza is good!
Haha, we order this salad because it's from the hunting menu (not all restaurants serve that) but... after trying, I really don't know how to appreciate deer meat.
Ok, finally a bill that we thought is not that bad! Haha! Now we know the trick, share 1 main dish!
Went shopping around again after dinner.
Pass by this bar and got attracted by the look of the window and decided to go in to grab a drink after knowing this is the HR Giger (famous Swiss artist) bar!
Operating Hours: 11am - 8.30pm (Tuesday to Friday)
10am - 8.30pm (Saturday & Sunday)
Closed (Monday)
Every part and corner of the bar is so detailed! It gives a creepy yet artistic vibe!
Coffee for me! Even the metal mug matches the vibe of the bar.
Cocktail for Wen.
Celebrating single day (11.11) and also last night in Gruyères.
Finally, nobody sitting at the table by the window so I can take picture here.
While walking back to hotel, saw a machine that can purchase a souvenir note. This is the first time we see in note instead of those flat copper coin.
Last night in this little town, time to say good night!
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