THE FIRST MOTORABLE ALPINE ROAD IN GRUYÈRE

In the 19th century, guidebooks vied with each other in extolling the science of the engineer who triumphed over the difficulties to force his way to a heavenly alp.

From here, a view of terrible splendour... The road is perched to the left of the abyss at the bottom of which, at a frightening depth, you can see the torrent flowing like a light thread of polished steel...

Behind, a peaceful hamlet with a small white chapel. Further on, the village and its hill... Opposite, jagged ridges...

L'Europe illustrée, La Gruyère, Excursion from Lake Geneva to the Bernese Oberland via the new alpine route from Bulle to Boltigen, 1881

This was the era of the stagecoach. The aim was to provide the army with a second road to the Simmental to ward off any invasion at a time when France was crying revenge on the Prussians. The road would therefore be strategic, receiving federal subsidies, and would link the major hotels in Bull with the inns and guesthouses of Charmey.

Before the Bulle-Boltigen road was built, it took 4 hours to cover the 12 km from Charmey to Bulle on foot with a mule. The old route passed through the bottom of the Javro gorge on a plank footbridge. Using the path through the Bouleyres forest and the wooden covered bridge built in 1854 28 m above the torrent bed, the stagecoach now takes just 2.5 hours.

For the Bulle - Boltigen road, this wooden bridge, which was located downstream of the current Pont du Javro, was demolished. At 70 metres, it was the longest single-span bridge in history. In its place, an audacious 57 m high metal bridge was built. Work on the route increased between 1873 and 1881: a second metal bridge was built over the Jogne at Broc, the ascent to Bataille was corrected, and a new route was created under the villages... The stagecoach now took an hour and a half to get there (compared with 20 minutes by car today).

In collaboration with the municipality of Val-de-Charmey