en

La Valsainte-Charmey 

Suggestions

  • famille
  • agriculture
  • mobilité
  • énergie
  • tourisme
  • faune
  • biodiversité
  • vélo
  • patrimoine
  • randonnée
  • produit
  • alpage

Stage info

This hike is a must for fans of natural and human-made landscapes. The trail begins at La Valsainte, a beautiful charterhouse and fine example of architectural symmetry. The Farmers Trail begins in the woodland behind the monastery. It was created by the Gruyère Pays-d'Enhaut Regional Nature Park in cooperation with the region's farming community, and is part of the region's green infrastructure network. Once you have crossed the wooden bridge, climb the hill to the minor road. From there, it is a short walk to a secluded path which leads to Charmey. From here, the path runs straight ahead before turning off into pastureland and crossing the forest to the Montminard alp. The trail offers spectacular views of the mountains, the valley and its traditional farming landscapes, dotted with meadows, barns, farmhouses, and punctuated with eye-catching trees, orchards and hedgerows. There is lots to see and do in the pretty pre-Alpine village, including thermal baths, a museum, restaurants, as well as the La Tzintre old forge and cheese cellars.

At a glance

Distance
7.3 km
Hike time
2:5
Elevation change
+ 240 m
- 380 m

Itinerary

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ROAD CONDITIONS

Road conditions may vary at any time. Please consult SwitzerlandMobility before setting off on your hike. Check the Hiking in Switzerland box to see which paths are passable and which.

15.LA-VALSAINTE_CHARMEY_Relais_Charmey
15.LA-VALSAINTE_CHARMEY_Caves_La_Tzintre3

Points of interest

Charmey
Charmey
Nesting in the center of the Jogne valley, Charmey is a subalpine village at about 900 meters elevation. Its population (more than 1800 people) is growing: its location is prized for its high quality of life. Living traditions, beautifully preserved natural landscapes, and sports and cultural activities are abundant. The local economy is tied to agriculture and tourism. On mountaintop pastures and alpine farms, artisan cheese-makers produce Gruyère AOP and Vacherin Fribourgeois AOP during the summer months. The cheeses are then transported to the new Tzintre cheese cellars where they are aged. The village is home to several remarkable buildings, which bore witness to the golden age of alpine economy (16th to 18th century.).
1637 Charmey
La Valsainte Carthusian Charterhouse
La Valsainte Carthusian Charterhouse
La Valsainte is tucked into the Javro Valley, in the municipality of Cerniat. The Valsainte was founded in 1294, following a donation from Girard 1st of Corbières. Until the 16th century, only the church was of solid stone construction. The conventual buildings and cells were wood. Tragic, deadly fires scar the history of the Valsainte. In 1778, the Charterhouse was closed and the monks moved to La Part-Dieu (Bulle). Authorized by the state of Fribourg to buy back the Valsainte in 1861, the Carthusians entirely reconstructed their monastery. From 1863 to 1903, a series of additions were put on the Valsainte. The last line of cells was erected in order to accommodate Carthusians chased from France. These cells were demolished in 2008 in order to restore the stability of the monastery threatened by erosion.
Route de la Valsainte 122
1654 Val-de-Charmey
Les Caves de la Tzintre
Les Caves de la Tzintre
The Alp cheesemaking season is short. Between April to October, alpine farmers make between two and three wheels of Alp cheese every day. The process involves heating milk in huge 800-litre capacity copper vats; twelve litres of milk are needed to make one kilo of cheese. The altitude and position on the mountain slope of the alpine farm as well as the surrounding flora and the cheesemaker’s expertise are what lends each cheese its unique and distinctive character. It is precisely this diversity that sets Gruyère d'Alpage AOP apart. Because Alp cheeses must be turned and brushed every day, in both summer and winter, they cannot be kept in the mountain ripening cellars for the entire 24 months. The armaillis [mountain dairy farmers] move the wheels to the La Tzintre ripening cellars (Charmey) in the valley below. These facilities, which accommodate 7,000 wheels of both Gruyère AOP (approx. 150 tonnes) and Vacherin fribourgeois AOP (20 tonnes), offer the best possible storage and matur
La Tzintre 53
1637 Charmey
info@fromage-alpage.ch
Relais info Charmey
Relais info Charmey
This information point in the laiterie fromagerie de Charmey visitor centre is given over entirely to the SUMMER-GRAZING SEASON The destinations featured here will allow you to explore, at your own pace, the different facets of this age-old alpine farming tradition, as well as the Park’s landscapes and villages. Along the way, you will also discover the region’s fascinating history, rich heritage and many other traditions that are still going strong today. Located on the premises of the Park’s partners, information points are the ideal place for visitors to familiarise themselves with the Park and everything it has to offer. These points feature interpretive panels as well as wealth of brochures, guides and leaflets in French, German and English.
Village d'Enhaut 18
1637 Charmey
Also worth discovering...
Wooden bridge over the Javro Charmey Museum
Old forge at La Tzintre
La Tzintre mountain cheese cellars

Safety

PREPARE YOUR HIKE

Carte KF-3617x2713

Being well-prepared is the first essential step to a successful tour. Have you thought of everything? Here are a few things to help you get ready.

Tips for my hike

RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR

Allières-Les Avants randonneurs -1816x1362

This tour takes place in a pre-Alpine environment with an exceptional natural heritage, a rich landscape and a predominantly alpine economy, all of which demand exemplary behaviour.

Hikers' charter

To help you

Buy the park map

Find a mountain guide

Hiking ideas

Awaken your senses

The Cheese trails

Hikes for all ages along the old cheese transport routes

One-day excursions

Cross-country tours with TP stops at the beginning and end of the route.

Savurando

Une chasse aux trésors gourmands dans le Pays-d'Enhaut