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Gruyeres, Switzerland

Gruyères
Gruyères-main-street.jpg
Coat of arms of Gruyères
Coat of arms
Gruyères is located in Switzerland
Gruyères
Gruyères
Gruyères is located in Canton of Fribourg
Gruyères
Gruyères
Coordinates: 46°35′N 7°5′E / 46.583°N 7.083°E / 46.583; 7.083Coordinates: 46°35′N 7°5′E / 46.583°N 7.083°E / 46.583; 7.083
Country Switzerland
Canton Fribourg
District Gruyère
Government
 • Mayor Syndic
Area
 • Total 28.38 km2 (10.96 sq mi)
Elevation 810 m (2,660 ft)
Population (Dec 2015)
 • Total 2,153
 • Density 76/km2 (200/sq mi)
Postal code 1663
SFOS number 2135
Localities Gruyères, Épagny, Pringy, Moléson-sur-Gruyères, Saussivue, Le Pont, Le Creux
Surrounded by Bas-Intyamon, Broc, Bulle, Charmey (Gruyère), Haut-Intyamon, La Tour-de-Trême, Le Pâquier, Semsales, Vaulruz, Vuadens
Website www.gruyeres.ch
SFSO statistics

Gruyères (French pronunciation: ​[ɡʁɥiˈjɛʁ]) is a town in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. Its German name is Greyerz.

The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane river, and gives its name to Gruyère cheese. The medieval town is located at the top of 82 metre-high hill overlooking the Saane valley and the Lake of Gruyère.

Gruyères has an area, as of 2009, of 28.4 square kilometers (11.0 sq mi). Of this area, 11.5 km2 (4.4 sq mi) or 40.5% is used for agricultural purposes, while 14.18 km2 (5.47 sq mi) or 50.0% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 1.55 km2 (0.60 sq mi) or 5.5% is settled (buildings or roads), 0.24 km2 (0.093 sq mi) or 0.8% is either rivers or lakes and 0.92 km2 (0.36 sq mi) or 3.2% is unproductive land.

Of the built up area, housing and buildings made up 2.5% and transportation infrastructure made up 2.1%. Out of the forested land, 46.8% of the total land area is heavily forested and 2.7% is covered with orchards or small clusters of trees. Of the agricultural land, 4.6% is used for growing crops and 12.9% is pastures and 22.9% is used for alpine pastures. All the water in the municipality is flowing water.

Gruyères is 810 m (2,660 ft) above sea level, 4.5 km (2.8 mi) south-south-east of the district capital Bulle. The historical town is placed on top of an isolated hill north of the alps, in the foothills of mount Moléson. It is also the location where the Saane river (French name: Sarine) leaves the Fribourg alps.

The area of the municipality comprises a section of the Saane valley and of the Fribourg alps. The central part of the area is the plains of Alluvial (690 m [ 2,260 ft ] above sea level) next to the alps, between Gruyères and Broc, from which the hill of Gruyères rises to 828 m [ 2,717 ft ] above sea level. From the west, the brook Trême meets the Saane. East of the Saane, the municipality area ends in a small corner, bordered by the ridges of Dent de Broc (1,829 m [ 6,001 ft ] above sea level) in the north and Dent du Chamois (1,830 m [ 6,000 ft ] above sea level) in the south, ending at the valley of Motélon. The two peaks with their saddle between them are a popular subject for photographs of Gruyères.


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