Municipality in Switzerland
Photo: Laura McLean, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Fribourg is a city in Switzerland that is also the canton's capital and economic centre. The city was founded in 1157 by Herzog Berthold IV of Zaehringen. Fribourg is known for its cultural plurality, university, and bridges over the Sarine River that link the French-speaking part of Switzerland to the German-speaking part.
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Pont de Berne
This covered wooden bridge is 40m long. The original bridge has been constantly renovated and it is now Fribourg's only remaining wooden bridge.
This gate is 24 m high with a winding staircase around the exterior. The structure was built between 1270 and 1290 and has been heightened twice since then but still retains its original doors.
Construction on this cathedral first began in 1283 and was completed around 1430. Work on the unfinished west tower was stopped in 1490. It has been the Cathedral of the diocese of Lausanne, Geneva, and Fribourg since 1945. There are a total of 13 bells in the western tower and bell tower of the choir. The western tower is open to the public and provides a view high above the city.
This fountain by Jean Tinguely was dedicated to the memory of his friend Jo Stiffert, Formula 1 driver. The performance of the mechanical fountain varies depending on sun, clouds, and ice.
Pont de Zaehringen
The original suspension bridge was built in 1834 and replaced in 1924 with concrete. The bridge is 165 m long and spans the Sarine River. There is a footpath beneath the roadway. To get a clear view of the bridge try the Bern Gate or Bern Bridge.
This museum presents a network of miniature railways with 2045 m of track through a make-believe Switzerland. The model is built on three levels on a scale of 1:87. The show lasts approximately 90 minutes and requires a reservation that can be made through their website.
A really fun museum with major works from both artists. Tinguely created wacky mobiles - push the button to make them rattle and whirr. (There's more of his contraptions in Basel.) His wife de St Phalle created the "Nanas": lyrical steatopygic women in lurid summer frocks. The museum is housed in an old tram depot.
This museum of art and history is housed in Fribourg's only Renaissance building, The Ratzé Palace. The collections housed here include paintings and statues from the 12th to 19th centuries as well as historical remains that depict political, religious, and business aspects of life in Fribourg during that period. There is also a former slaughterhouse that now contains paintings and stone statues from the 19th and 20th centuries. In the garden is the piece of art La Lune by Niki de Saint Phalle as well as four other works.
Cardinal Beer Museum
Learn the history of the brewery and ancestral brewing methods, housed in former storage cellars.
This library contains medieval documents and transcripts of Fribourg as well as photographs, books, and audio-visual materials that are displayed in temporary exhibits that can be seen in guided tours and lectures.
See Fribourg's ice hockey team in action.
This cable railway links the upper part of the city to the lower part. It has been running since 1899 and is powered solely by the town's waste water. The two cars counterbalance one another through their ascent and descent and as they make the journey along the steep slope they offer a clear view of Old Town. Runs every 6 minutes based on demand.
The Old Town of Fribourg is better known as Basse Ville and offers narrow winding streets to churches, fountains, ancient bridges and medieval buildings with over 200 Gothic facades dating from the 15th century. There are also many cosy cafes and warm restaurants throughout the area. Old Town is easy enough to find, just look for the 76-m-high tower of the St. Nicholas Cathedral. Other sights worth noting in Old Town are the Town Hall, the Church of Notre-Dame, and the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire.
The staircase ascends 74 metres high, with a wonderful view of the city at the top. The price is Fr. 3.50 as of.
St. Nicholas is the patron saint of the town of Fribourg and is celebrated every year during the first week of December throughout the region. The celebration includes a parade at dusk with the saint riding a donkey at the head of the procession, and an outdoor market.
Held annually since 1980. It showcases films primarily selected from Third World countries.
Venerable café-comptoir-restaurant with pleasant terrace. The food is excellent and not too expensive.
Popular with students as it's close to the University and cheap by Swiss standards. The "Chicken Melt" is a chicken curry baguette served with salad and potatoes.
A cozy little bar on a hill overlooking the main plaza between the old town and the slightly newer old town. There seems to be free wireless, though there are no signs advertising the fact, so it might just be a neighbor's access point.
The Villars chocolate company, operating in Fribourg since 1901, operates a Villars-only store/cafe (it is unique in Switzerland). In addition to selling the packaged chocolate bars and napolitains available nationally, a counter sells ganache bonbons (some with fruit, spices, etc) and other fresh chocolates. You can sit down and have a coffee or hot chocolate; you can also buy Villars coffee beans, books on chocolates, and other interesting items.
By plane
Bern airport is close by but has few flights, so the best airport for Fribourg is Geneva (GVA), with direct trains every 30 mins taking less than 2 hours.
By bus
Flixbus direct services from Fribourg include Lyon, Frankfurt and Munich.
Walk: most sights are within walking distance. You'll probably arrive at the SBB station in the modern city centre, which is bland, in parts brutalist. Go north about 300 m for the University.
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Bern · Regional · BRN
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