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Home > Travel Switzerland > Switzerland Destinations > Gruyeres
Gruyeres
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked Alpine country in Central Europe. The country, which borders Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east, was historically a confederation, and has been a federation since 1848. Switzerland is a federation of relatively autonomous cantons, some of which have a history of confederacy that goes back more than 700 years, arguably putting them among the world's oldest surviving republics. With an area of 41,285 square kilometers, Switzerland is a relatively small country. Switzerland comprises three basic topographical areas namely the Swiss Alps, the Swiss plateau, and the Jura Mountains. Switzerland has four official languages namely German, French, Italian and Romansh.
Gruyeres is a small town in the district of Gruyere, canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. Its German name is Greyerz. The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane River and gives its name to the well-known cheese. It is known from at least 923 and was the capital of a county until it was divided between Fribourg and Bern in 1555. Gruyeres is elevated at about 810 meters above the sea level and is located at about 4.5 kilometers towards the south-south-east of the district capital Bulle. The historical town is placed on top of an isolated hill north of the Alps, to the foot of mount Moleson. It is also the location where the Saane River leaves the Fribourg Alps.
Gruyeres has always been a rural town. Agricultural products from the surroundings were processed and brought to the market in the town of Gruyeres. Formerly, the focus was on trading cheese and small and big animals. There where several mills and sawmills and since 18th century a gun powder factory. Until the beginning of the 20th century, straw-twisting was also rather important.
Gruyeres prides itself on its important role in social and cultural development in the history of Fribourg as well as on the opportunity provided to its citizens to work, live and grow in a clean and prosperous environment. The city of Gruyeres has placed itself at the top of a list of municipalities in the Metropolitan Region with the highest quality of life.
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