Fribourg Canton, Charmey
Distance: 9.80 km.
Walking time: 2h 30 min.
Elevation gain: 391 m.
Access: Car or bus.
Bus: Charmey, Corbettaz
The weather during that weekend was cloudy with occasional showers. We had the tour of lake Montsalvens on our hiking to-do list for a while, and it felt a like a great occasion to do it! It is quite an easy and enjoyable walk. Different views are present throughout this walk including the forest, Montsalvens lake, river Ruisseau de Montélon, Charmey from above and surrounding mountains. We came across a number of hikers and a cow pasture.
There were numerous picnic places and a few BBQ spots. There are a number of dining opportunities at Charmey for before or after the hike. There is also Coop and Denner in the village.
The first half of the hike is easy with a bumpy path; the other half has a bigger elevation gain, but it is rewarded with lovely views. Starting from Charmey and going West, the walk follows on a tarmac road with pretty views towards the mountains of Dent de Broc, Dent du Chamois and Vanil de la Monse. The lake becomes visible once entering the forest. The path is narrow but very pleasant to follow, with multiple viewpoints towards the lake. There are a number of unique bridges and the view towards the lake from Montsalvens Dam is really something. From there, the trail follows alongside the loud river Ruisseau de Montélon. There are a few small waterfalls to admire on the way. Once reaching the top of the hill, the views slowly open up towards all the mountains in each direction. The descent allows nice views towards Charmey and the mountains behind.
In addition to the hiking routes, Charmey is also a nice place for paragliding, mountain biking and e-biking. Other activities also include a cheese-making workshops and kids activities hill. A guide to the activities can be found here.
More information about this route can be found on La Gruyère website here. More information about hiking routes can be found on SchweizMobil website here. Statistics and data about Montsalvens Dam can be found on La Torpille website here. MySwitzerland website gives a nice overview about Charmey village here.
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