Alien artwork and medieval Swiss cities don’t usually go hand in hand.  But in Gruyères, a city better known for cheese than aliens, science fiction fans the world over can marvel at the artwork of H.R. Giger, the man who received an Oscar for his work on Alien.

Before arriving in Gruyères, I had never heard of H.R. Giger.  I am not a science fiction fan, I haven’t even seen Alien.  It didn’t matter; the HR Giger Museum housed an impressive display of artwork, regardless of my propensity to science fiction.  The work ranged from drawings, oil work, sculptures, movie props, and everything in between.

Part of the appeal was not so much the artwork, which at times was just too disturbing, but the setting.  Outside, a cheese festival was going on in the medieval European city.  A 13^th century castle loomed on top of the hill.  The surrounding mountains were shrouded with fog.  It was stereotypically Swiss.  Inside, the museum was dark.  Mechanical.  Alien.  It was stereotypically not Swiss.  And I loved it all.

There’s even a bar and café across the street from the museum that is designed and decorated in biomechanical style used by Giger in his artwork.

A Europe travel tip, after having written about kid friendly things to do in Switzerland such as the Natural History Museum in Geneva, it is important to realize that the H.R. Giger Museum cannot be described as kid friendly.  The artwork is dark, foreboding, and often times sexual.

More on European Museums

Find out about more museums in Europe on Europe a la Carte.