Cheese & Chocolate Tasting (Bern)

Switzerland's two best-known foods are cheese and chocolate, and a day trip from Bern to the Fribourg Alps is a convenient way to meet both. The usual outing is a guided or independent excursion to Gruyères, a medieval hill village about an hour and a half by train from Bern, with a visit to a cheese dairy and a chocolate factory on the same day. Some visitors prefer a shorter experience and sample chocolate on a walking tour of Bern itself. Either way, the trip is a good introduction to the foods and to the landscape that produces them.

Gruyère is a hard cheese named after the village and made in the surrounding region from raw cow's milk, following rules set out in a protected designation of origin. It is matured for at least five months, and the flavour deepens with age, from creamy and mild in the younger wheels to firmer, nuttier and slightly crystalline in the older ones. At the demonstration dairy near the village, visitors can watch cheesemakers turn milk into large wheels in big copper vats, learn about the cows and the pastures, and look at the cellars where the wheels are turned and brushed as they age. A tasting usually allows you to compare cheeses of different ages, which is a good way to appreciate how time changes taste.

The village of Gruyères itself is a car-free cluster of old houses on a hill, with a single cobbled main street leading to a castle. The castle dates from the thirteenth century and was home to the counts of Gruyère, whose line ended in the sixteenth century; it contains furnished rooms, tapestries, and a garden with a view over the pastures and the mountains. Gruyères also has an unexpected museum dedicated to the Swiss artist H. R. Giger, creator of the creature in the film Alien, which sits in a medieval building and attracts fans from around the world, offering a stark contrast to the pastoral surroundings.

Chocolate comes at the other end of the outing. The Maison Cailler, at Broc, a short ride from Gruyères, is a visitor centre run by one of the oldest Swiss chocolate brands, which was founded in the early nineteenth century. Visitors follow a guided path through a display about the history of cocoa and the making of chocolate, with scents, sounds and demonstrations, and end with a tasting of several varieties. Swiss chocolate owes its reputation partly to the milk of the local cows and partly to inventions such as milk chocolate and conching, which produced a smooth texture, and the tasting is a good way to pick out the difference between dark, milk and filled chocolates.

Back in Bern, a chocolate walking tour is a quicker option. Bern is the birthplace of Toblerone, which was created in the city in the early twentieth century, and several chocolatiers have shops in the old town. Tours of this kind combine tastings with stories of the city's history.

The experience suits families, couples and food lovers. Check timetables, booking requirements and prices before you go, since tours and factory visits often need reservations, and be aware of dietary restrictions and allergies. Allow a full day for the excursion to Gruyères and two hours for a chocolate walk in Bern. Bring a bag for purchases, and eat lightly beforehand to leave room for the tastings.