Alpine Panorama Trail

If you are embarking on this leg of the Alpine Panorama Trail without having walked the previous one, you might like to spend a little longer in the picturesque town of Gruyères with its rows of medieval houses. The 13th century castle and the HR Giger Museum are also worth a visit.

It isn’t long before you start the climb to Plan-Francey. There are 800 metres of elevation to be covered, over gravel roads for the most part. Towered over by the Moléson, you will reach the Chalet du Gros Plané after just a few minutes. With the climbing now behind you, the restaurant here is an inviting spot to take a break. By this point, you will already be in the Gruyère Pays-d’Enhaut nature park. The Alpine farming and agriculture here are typical of the region. It also the traditional home of Gruyère, L’Etivaz and Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese production.

Once your energy is replenished, it is time to press on. In the distance you can see the Swiss Plateau, Lake Geneva, the Jura mountains or the green slopes of the Prealps, depending on which direction you look in. Leaving behind the next small pass at Le Villard-Dessus, the road surface now changes to tarmac. Then comes the descent to the family holiday resort of Les Paccots, your destination for this leg. Did you know that the term “Paccot” refers to wet or boggy ground? This area is home to many moors and ponds.