5 Best Sights in Fribourg and Neuchâtel, Switzerland

When the Burgundian Wars broke out in the late 15th century, the Château de Grandson, built in the 11th century and much rebuilt during the 13th and 15th centuries, was in the hands of Charles the Bold of Burgundy. In 1475, the Swiss won it by siege, but early the next year their garrison was surprised by Charles, and 418 of their men were captured and hanged from the apple trees in the castle orchard. A few days later the Swiss returned to Grandson and, after crushing the Burgundians, retaliated by stringing up their prisoners from the same apple trees. After being used for three centuries as a residence by the Bernese bailiffs, the castle was bought in 1875 by the de Blonay family, who restored it to its current impressive state, with high, massive walls and five cone turrets. Inside, you can see reproductions of Charles the Bold's Burgundian war tent and two jousting knights astride their horses—in full armor. There are also oubliettes (dungeon pits), torture chambers, and a model of the Battle of Grandson, complete with a 20-minute slide show (in English if you get in quickly enough to push the right button). The dungeons now house an extensive vintage-car museum, displaying the prized beauties of Greta Garbo and Winston Churchill. Currently under renovation until 2025, the castle can be still be visited by making a reservation in advance.

Once the city's tram terminal, this is one of the premier modern-art spaces in Switzerland. It houses a selection of whirring, tapping, spinning metal sculptures by Jean Tinguely and a wall full of the voluptuous, colorful work of his wife, Niki de Saint Phalle. After working in the Dadaist movement, Tinguely (1925–91) made headlines as a pioneer of the "kinetic art" movement. Kids (16 and under free) are often fascinated by Tinguely's work, which is full of fantastical elements: skis are walking, a potted plant is turning, and a toy rabbit is being hit on the head.

Located at water's edge, this interactive archaeological museum is the largest in Switzerland. In the nearby community of Hauterive, it displays artifacts found in and around Lac de Neuchâtel and explains how they were recovered. The lifestyles of Bronze Age lake dwellers are skillfully depicted, with pride of place going to a sculpted standing stone that resembles a man, from Bevaix, a village southwest of Neuchâtel. Inside the museum, see the remains of a 60-foot-long Gallo-Roman barge; outside in the park, its reconstruction is moored near a full-scale wooden Bronze Age house on stilts. There is a pamphlet in English, and for SF5 you can rent an hour-long audio guide in English. There is a free shuttle-boat service to Hauterive from the port in Neuchâtel that runs Friday–Sunday in April and May and Tuesday–Sunday from June to September.

On the way from Fribourg to Gruyères, chocoholics should consider stopping at this tantalizing chocolate factory in the otherwise unassuming town of Broc. A name in Swiss chocolate since 1819, Cailler offers a 90-minute tour complete with chocolate tasting.

Before going up to town, you can visit the very touristy Maison du Gruyère, a demonstration fromagerie (cheese dairy) where the famous cheese is produced with fully modernized equipment. Demonstrations are given two to four times a day, depending on the season. There's also a shop and a restaurant that sells every variation on a cheese dish you ever dreamed of (including three-course "Gruyère cheese menus").