Pont-la-Ville Beach: the quiet little beach on the lake

A stretch of shore on a human scale

Not every beach tries to host half the canton. The one at Pont-la-Ville plays another card: peace and quiet. Tucked away on the northern shore of Lake Gruyère, it gives access to clear water in a pastoral setting, between woods and pastures. You come here for a swim without the bustle, for a quiet picnic or for a late afternoon with your feet in the water after a walk. The Golf de la Gruyère estate is close by, which gives the area its neat landscape of green hills.

What your children will discover

They discover a shore on their own scale, where you can take in everything at a glance and easily spot your parents from the water. The clear water lets you see the bottom close to the edge, which always amuses children looking for stones and watching the little fish. All around, the landscape of Lake Gruyère unfolds: the hills, the forests, and that impression of a body of water set down in the middle of the fields.

What you do there and the atmosphere on site

You swim, you read, you doze. The atmosphere is that of a village beach: few people during the week, a handful of families at the weekend, a real sense of calm. It is a good plan when the big beaches on the lake are full, or when you simply want a break away from it all. People also come at the end of the day, when the light falls on the water.

One particularity to bear in mind: Lake Gruyère is a reservoir, held back since 1948 by the Rossens wall a few minutes from here. Its level varies with the seasons and with water management, so the shore widens or narrows through the year. Nothing that gets in the way of a swim, but it explains why the place may not look exactly like the picture you had in mind.

Before you go

• Recommended age: all ages, with close supervision for non-swimmers
• Duration: two hours to half a day
• Price: free, open access
• Pushchair accessibility: natural shore, practicality to be assessed on site
• Transport: by car; parking options to be checked on site
• What to bring: all your supplies, there is no shop at the beach
• Best season: from late June to late August

Tips from parents

• Come during the week or at the end of the day if you are really after peace and quiet.
• The beach is small: bring something to keep the children busy out of the water, there is no playground.
• Check the parking options before you set off, they are more limited than at the big beaches on the lake.
• Bring shade and drinking water for the day.
• Take your rubbish home: the beach is not equipped like a tourist site.

Useful information

• Address: Impasse de Thusy, 1649 Pont-la-Ville
• Official website: https://www.pont-la-ville.ch/
• Opening hours: open access, swimming in summer
• Access (transport): by car from Bulle or Fribourg; public transport connections to be checked on cff.ch

Why we recommend it

Because it offers exactly what the popular beaches lack: room in your head. Clear water, a green setting, almost nobody, and the option of combining the swim with the walk to the Rossens dam and its footbridge, only minutes away.

In a nutshell

A small, free and quiet beach on the shore of Lake Gruyère, for a family swim far from the crowds.