Moudon

The historic little town of Moudon lies in privileged position at the heart of stunning landscapes, halfway between the Jorat-Plateau and Broye-Tal valley. And surely nothing could be more attractive than the picturesque alleyways of this delightful spot.

As former capital of Savoyard-Vaud, Moudon is proud of its wealth of historic buildings. As prime example of medieval architecture, the town is one of the best preserved throughout the canton – with the upper-town neighbourhood even classified as a townscape of national importance. Today, with its particularly high standard of living and growing population, Moudon is experiencing great urban development; with various arts and crafts markets, active club life and a rich and varied cultural season continuing to grow and prosper as years go by.

A signed circular tour allows visitors to discover 26 historic buildings in Moudon. Information panels offer brief explanations.
Historic circular tour

The following tour presents the craft of cheese-making and the industrial sites in Moudon, which reflect the rich history of this region. These sites bear witness to an industrial tradition dating back to the 19th century, and the dairies also use time-honoured traditional recipes for their creations.

Tip 1: Le Grand Pré dairy

In September 2013, the dairy Le Grand Pré inaugurated its new production plant for soft cheese in the heart of Moudon. This new brand embodies all that was great about the soft cheese specialities from the former Moudon Cheese School.

Tip 2: Le Gruyère dairy

Certified since 1115, cheese-making in this region is based on a traditional recipe that has stood the test of time in the village dairies from where it originates – La Gruyère in the Canton of Freiburg – but also in the Cantons of Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura and a few municipalities in Bern.

Tip 3: Gruyère AOC ripening cellar

Fromco SA specialises in the ageing of Gruyère AOC. The immense maturation caves offer an impressive spectacle of about 140,000 cheese wheels, which are displayed, cleaned, nurtured and stored according to AOC standards.

Tip 4: Ferroflex Braillard iron

The Braillard family, which has been famous for ironmongery in the Moudon region since the 19th century, have helped shaped the industrial history of the area. Today, the company specialising in steel and construction technology offers tours of its production facility.

Tip 5: Model packaging

The Moudon site develops innovative packaging and display solutions made of corrugated cardboard. The products are manufactured on high performance machines in various print processes, which can be discovered on a tour.