Grandvillard is a typical Gruyère village situated close by the Château de Gruyères, in the middle of a very beautiful valley. Grandvillard is said to date back to the Roman period and the name is derived from "Vilar" (1228). The present name is a combination of the Latin "villare" and the French "grand" (big), to indicate how the village had developed. The area was mainly agricultural until the second half of the twentieth century. Today Grandvillard is a very attractive and picturesque village of 700 inhabitants who find it a most enjoyable place to live in.

Phytopharma is one of the village's leading businesses.