How to discover the alpine pastures season  
Cheese-making is an integral part of the summer-grazing season, or alpage (May-October). Indeed, it takes a wide skillset to be a mountain dairy farmer. La saison d’alpage a été retenue par la Confédération comme l’une des traditions vivantes devant figurer prochainement dans le patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’UNESCO, aux côtés notamment de la Fête des vignerons ou du Carnaval de Bâle.

Between the 16th and 18th centuries, almost all Swiss cheese was made on mountain farms, during the 20 weeks from May to late September. The sound of clanging cowbells has long filled the air in early summer during the Poya (ascent of the dairy herds to the mountain pastures), then again in autumn during the Rindyà (return to lowland pastures).

The landscape and built heritage of the Park bear witness to the importance of alpine farming in the region and to the traders who grew rich from buying and selling its products. The Park is home to a remarkable collection of mountain farmhouses (chalets), barns, cellars and haylofts. There are as many as 619 listed mountain chalets in the Gruyère section of the Park alone, and roughly one-third of them are clad in traditional tavillons (wooden shingles). This alpine heritage has significantly shaped the region’s identity.

The sites on offer allow visitors to discover the mountain pasture season, through the seasons and in the landscapes and villages of the Park. From its history and the traces left on the land to the festivals still celebrated today, visitors are sure to be captivated by this heritage and these living traditions.

Visits should be planned according to the season, museum or cheese cellar opening times, and the conditions and safety required for walks and hikes.