Moléson, iconic mountain
Proudly dominating the Gruyère region, the Moléson is the emblematic summit of the Fribourg Pre-Alps. It rises to an altitude of 2,002 metres. Its name, of uncertain origin, intrigues linguists: it could come from a Gaulish word meaning “larch”, from an ancient French term designating a “wet meadow”, or even from the Latin Mola Summum, literally meaning “summit of a hill”. The steep walls of this limestone giant bear witness to millennia of geological folding, which today delights climbers on its two famous via ferrata.
The tourist interest in the Moléson dates back to the 18th century. European elites, inspired by the poem Die Alpen (1729) by Albrecht von Haller and La Nouvelle Héloïse (1761) by Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), began to explore these grand landscapes and sparked a passion for the Alps. The summit gained its letters of nobility. The elder Sirice Bridel (1757-1845) exalted it in his writings as a sacred mountain; Johann Gottfried Ebel (1764-1830), in his famous Handbook for Travellers in Switzerland, compared it to the Rigi for the splendour of its panorama! Early on, artists celebrated this “balcony of the world”, from which one can contemplate, on clear days, a 360° horizon stretching from Mont-Blanc to Lake Geneva. The highlight is to witness the sunrise from the top of the Moléson, a two-day expedition starting from Bulle, with a stop at the Part-Dieu monastery or Gros Plané. More than just a summit, the Moléson becomes an identity symbol, much like the Armailli, the Bredzon, the “Ranz des vaches” or the popular song “À Moléson”.
In the 19th century, the first hotel and railway projects faced resistance from the “Heimatschutz” movement, which was keen to preserve the authenticity of the site. It was only after the Second World War that modern tourism settled in: the cable car and ski lifts were established in the 1960s. The attempt to develop a tourist resort there was fraught with challenges. It wasn’t until 1980 that the holiday village was built, modelled after the resorts in Valais. Today, the station has transformed into a “four seasons” leisure centre, offering summer tobogganing and “dévalkart”, and integrating the observation of the celestial vault thanks to the highest astronomical observatory in the canton.
It is on these green slopes, at an altitude of 1,480 metres, that the Gros Plané, a typical alpine pasture, is nestled. Every summer, the Armaillis would go up there to produce Gruyère. Today, this age-old know-how continues as Gruyère d’Alpage AOP, Vacherin fribourgeois d’Alpage AOP, and sérac are still made with the milk from the herd that spends the summer there. Built in the early 19th century, the Gros Plané chalet is also one of the oldest alpine refreshment houses in the canton of Fribourg. Destroyed by fire in 1921, it was completely rebuilt the following year. Hikers and visitors enjoy regional specialities there, whether it be Jambon de la borne AOP, cheese fondues, or other cheese dishes like chalet macaroni.
Accessible on foot from Plan-Francey or Moléson-sur-Gruyères, the site is an ideal stopping point for mountain and hiking enthusiasts. It also served, along with the Chartreuse de la Part-Dieu, as a base camp for hikers in search of a romantic sunrise.
Information
Musée gruérien
Rue de la Condémine 25
1630 Bulle
Information
Office du Tourisme de Moléson, Route du Moléson 228, 1663, Moléson-sur-Gruyères
Place de l'Aigle 6
1663 Moléson-sur-Gruyères
La Gruyère Tourisme
Centre commercial Velâdzo (rez inférieur)
Place de la Gare 3
1630 Bulle
