Musée de Charmey
Museum of contemporary art and regional heritage in a relocated 17th-century wooden house, known for the Charmey Paper Art exhibition.
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About the museum
The museum is housed in a 17th-century wooden building, the former village square house (Platzhaus) of the neighboring village of Bellegarde (Jaun). The building was one of the few houses to survive the village fire of 1711. When it was due to make way for a new building in 1982, the then municipal president Beat Schuwey, a carpenter by trade, had the boards dismantled, numbered and stored, so that the outer shell was preserved.
When the municipality of Charmey wanted to set up a museum for the regional heritage in 1986, the choice fell on this stored house. Schuwey planned the reconstruction of the shell, and the architectural firm Gérald Dupasquier and Yves Murith from Bulle added a contemporary room that enters into dialogue with the old wooden building. The museum opened in 1991.
Today the museum, run by a foundation, is devoted primarily to art. A special feature is Charmey Paper Art: the international competition exhibition for contemporary paper art was founded in 1993 as the "Triennale internationale du papier" at the suggestion of the museum and the artist Viviane Fontaine, and has been held every two years since 2026. Over more than thirty years, around 600 artists from 40 countries have been shown here. The museum also presents changing exhibitions on art and the region, and offers educational programs for schools and groups.
Highlights
- 17th-century wooden house, dismantled after 1982 and rebuilt
- Charmey Paper Art: international biennial of contemporary paper art
- Combined ticket with the Bains de la Gruyère (Wednesday to Friday)
- Guided tours and workshops for schools and groups
- Founded
- 1991
- Operated by
- Fondation Musée de Charmey
Admission & discounts
| Adults | CHF 9 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | CHF 7AHV/IV recipients and students |
| Children & teens | CHF 5free up to age 9 · Children from 10 years. |
| Seniors | CHF 7AHV recipients. |
| Visitors with disabilities | CHF 7IV recipients. |
| Students & apprentices | CHF 7 |
| Groups (10+ people) | CHF 7 per personFrom 10 people: adults CHF 7, AHV/IV recipients, students and apprentices CHF 5, children from 10 years CHF 3. |
| Combined ticket museum + Bains de la Gruyère (3 hours), adults | CHF 30Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; bought at the museum on the day of the visit; not combinable. |
| Combined ticket museum + Bains de la Gruyère (3 hours), children aged 10–15 | CHF 19Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. |
Free with Raiffeisen card, Museumspass, and for members of the Friends of the Museum. Commented guided tours on request: CHF 80 per tour plus group admission; during Charmey Paper Art there is a narrated tour for CHF 100.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to the museum itself, it is not accessible for people with limited mobility.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 9 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
For school classes and groups, the museum offers guided tours and studio visits; children pay admission from 10 years.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
By train (RER Fribourg) to Bulle, then hourly by TPF bus to Charmey (06:00 to 22:00).
By car, take the Bulle motorway exit, then drive about 15 kilometers toward the Jaun Pass.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Commented guided tours and studio visits for school classes and groups on request. For schools, the animation "Le langage du silence" is available year-round; during Charmey Paper Art there is additionally a narrated tour and the short theater piece "Une aventure inattendue", which moves through the exhibition. |
