Gruyères castle gets public funds for renovation
Select your language
Generated with artificial intelligence.
Listening:
Gruyères castle gets public funds for renovation
On Tuesday, the Fribourg parliament approved a sum of CHF6.4 million to renovate the ramparts, the walkway and the towers, as well as to replace the exterior lighting.
The decree was approved by 88 votes to 1, with no abstentions. Jean-François Steiert, president of the cantonal government with responsibility for infrastructure, pointed out that the project is part of an initiative to enhance the value of the region’s historical heritage. It must also guarantee the safety of visitors and employees alike.
+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox
Closed in 2018 for safety reasons, the Jehan l’Eclopé walkway will once again be available for use. Renewing the lighting will help to showcase the castle while respecting the environment, both by protecting wildlife and by optimising energy consumption, which will be cut by a factor of five.
Risk of collapse
In detailing the damage observed, the facing walls of the ramparts of the tourist attraction show significant weaknesses. Seasonal variations, with periods of freezing and thawing, are weakening the cohesion of the whole structure and greatly increasing the risk of collapse.
Between 2013 and 2017, the buildings department implemented a number of emergency measures: installation of trellises and retaining nets, construction of protective tunnels, and installation of temporary shoring on the south-east wall. Last year, urgent work was carried out on the round tower.
In view of the intensification of weather conditions the protection systems are reaching their limits, according to the cantonal government, in support of its request for funds. A comprehensive overhaul is therefore now seen as a “necessity”, with a need to catch up. This view is shared by the members of the Fribourg parliament.
Up to mid-2028
The total cost is estimated at CHF6.4 million. This includes the studies already carried out to refurbish the ramparts and renew the lighting. More than 70% of the bids for the ramparts have been received, in accordance with the rules.
The LED lighting project is still at the preliminary design stage. Integrated into the overall project for reasons of synergy and timing, the new lighting will highlight the restored ramparts. Preliminary work could begin as early as this summer.
The new lighting is due to come into service in winter 2026, with the ramparts due to be ready in late spring 2028. The Gruyères castle is the second most visited building of its type in Switzerland, after Chillon castle on Lake Geneva.
Adapted from French by DeepL/ac
We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools to translate them into English. A journalist then reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication.
Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.
If you have any questions about how we work, write to us at english@swissinfo.ch
In compliance with the JTI standards
More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.