How to Have a Very Swiss Weekend

Last Updated on February 21 , 2020 by acrossthewaterwithchelsita

As many of you already know from my Instagram and Facebook feed, this time last week I was in Switzerland. Highlights included an “easy” 6-hour mountain hike, a never-ending supply of artisanal cheeses, and … a cow festival. It’s not every day you go to a cow festival, so read on to discover more about this intriguing and oh so Swiss tradition.

Every year on the fourth Saturday of September, the bucolic mountain village of Charmey celebrates La Désalpe: a traditional festivity which takes places in several Swiss villages, with Charmey’s in the canton of Fribourg arguably being the most well-known. With the arrival of autumn it becomes too cold for the cows in the Alps, where they have been grazing all summer, and it’s time for them to be led down from the mountains to warmer pastures in the valleys. I’m sure this is done in other countries discreetly and without much fanfare. But this is Switzerland we’re talking about, the land of milk and money, so of course the Swiss really push the boat out to celebrate their precious cows.

The first thing that will astound any visitor is the sheer number of cows involved. During the approximately 5-hour long programme there is an almost constant flow through the winding village streets of cows decorated with beautiful flowers, straw hats, and rather heavy-looking hand-forged bells.

And it’s not just cows either. Farmers of all ages wearing traditional dress, also show off their goats, sheep and horses. Again, all decorated with beautiful headdresses and flowers.

Aside from the parade of beautifully adorned animals, there are also plenty of culinary offerings to woo and delight you. Charmey’s Désalpe features an artisanal food market, handicraft stalls, and a dedicated cheese market.

Some of the cheesy offerings include the traditional and world-famous fondue and raclette, best washed down with a delicious glass of local fruity white wine.

*Raclette is cheese which is melted progressively in layers and scraped off with a knife, often served with little potatoes and in this case pickles and gherkins too. Delish!*

There is also a significant moo-sical component to the day which features the Alpine horn, country orchestras and brass bands. Of course, the hills were alive with the almost deafening sound of the cows’ bells too.

In short, it doesn’t get any more Swiss than this, so if you want an udderly Swiss experience, you’d best get moo-ving to Charmey’s Désalpe.

Practical Information about Désalpe de Charmey

When: Every year on the fourth Saturday of September. The ‘cow’ part of the programme runs from about 9am- 2pm but the music, food and festivities continue until the cows come home.

Cost: Absolutely free to attend. Woohoo, something that’s free in Switzerland!

Where: Charmey, in the Fribourg region of Switzerland

How to get there: Fly to Geneva and then drive 1.5 hours to Charmey. Alternatively, the trip from Geneva takes about 2.5 hours by public transport (mix of train and bus).

Note: The car park is about a 10 minute drive from the village of Charmey (otherwise the village wouldn’t be able to handle the staggering amount of visitors from near and far). The flat fee for all day parking is 10 Swiss Francs. A free shuttle bus service is provided throughout the day between the parking and Charmey. This worked perfectly on the way up to the village but on the return journey at about 2pm we got stuck behind the descending cows and the trip turned into an almost hour-long, hot and sweaty ordeal with overtired children throwing tantrums left, right and centre and the other passengers wanting to do the same. You might be able to avoid this by leaving the festival later in the day.

Extra info:https://www.la-gruyere.ch/en/P8227/desalpe-de-charmey

Of course, a trip to Switzerland wouldn’t be complete without a spot of hiking to burn off all that dairy you’ve been eating. Even if you’re not a keen walker I would really urge you to go on even just a short walk to enjoy Switzerland’s impressive countryside. If that doesn’t make you feel like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music, I don’t know what will.

*The view from our bedroom window in our chalet in La Lécherette*

Before arriving in the land of mountains we had already decided that we would spend Sunday hiking, but had no plan of where to go. Fortunately, our Airbnb host gave us the excellent suggestion of going to Pic Chaussy, a mountain whose summit reaches 2,351 m above sea level located in the Gruyère Pays D’enhaut National Park . Although she had never hiked up herself, she knew the hike started in a small local village ‘Les Mosses’, passed a stunning alpine lake on the way and the views from the top were meant to be spectacular. She was not wrong.

With no further information, we turned up at the (closed) tourist information office and were delighted to find out that according to the map this was a pleasant 4 hour round-trip of medium difficulty. Warning: never trust Swiss maps! They’re evidently created by seasoned Swiss mountaineers who scaled their first peaks when they were still in their nappies. This walk took closer to 6 hours and was definitely the most challenging hike I’ve ever been on as it was an almost constant ascent on the way there and constant descent on our return. But was it worth it? Definitely.

The first part of the trail leads you to the gorgeous Lac Lioson, a popular day-trip destination for local families. We visited the last weekend of September and there were lots of people there fishing, having barbeques and eating in the nearby café-restaurant, but there was still ample space for everyone. People swim there in the summer too but the ice-cold mountain water is not for the faint-hearted.

After this, it was onwards and upwards to reach the summit on a very steep and challenging trail. I think you’ll agree that the views from the top were worth it though.

*Our excitable dog Spotty definitely thought so!*

*After the difficult climb it felt exhilarating to reach the top!*

From the summit, you have an amazing view of the Alps, including the perpetually snow-capped Mont Blanc, as well as some amusingly named mountains like Le Grand Sex and Le Grand Sex Rouge.

Still high from the climb but getting a little weary by this point, we were happy to stumble across a small family-run inn which also offered beds made of straw for tired travellers. There we enjoyed some well-earned beers in the fading sunlight, whilst getting plenty of cuddles from the owners’ extremely cute dogs (much to the jealousy of Spotty who was already miffed she couldn’t chase the chickens and cat).

However, she later hit the jackpot when she found a Wild Mountain Goat she could annoy.

In summary, it was a challenge, but it actually turned out to be the highlight of my trip. And this from a girl who used to cry every time she had to go on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition!

Lastly, if you’re in this area, it’s well worth visiting the medieval town of Gruyères, famous the world over for its eponymous cheese. With its extremely instagramable houses with impressive flower displays, not a single piece of litter to be seen, and prices that give you a heart attack, Gruyères is typically Swiss.

**Fun fact:** The name Gruyères comes from the French ‘*grue*‘ meaning crane, depicted on the town’s coat of arms shown in the flag above.

The town is tiny so you wouldn’t even need half a day to see everything it has to offer, which includes an imposing 13th century castle, the H.R. Giger Museum (which showcases the largest collection of the artist’s work on permanent public display, and includes paintings, sculptures, furniture and film designs), and interestingly a small Museum dedicated to Tibetan Buddhism.