Location of the month - March 2011 - Fribourg

To give you an idea of some of the spectacular places you can visit in this region, we will feature each month a photo of one of its many great locations.  Since we rely on recommendations, please send us your special photo taken, for example, on a memorable day out at a water park or from a remarkable viewpoint in the area.

Fribourg
http://www.fr.ch
http://www.ville-fribourg.ch
http://www.fribourgregion.ch/en/welcome.cfm?
http://www.fribourgtourisme.ch/en/welcome.cfm?

Text and photos by Lisa Cirieco-Ohlman

This beautiful Swiss town is built on a cliff hugging the river, La Sarine, and is a city to discover without further delay!

Because of it’s location, access to the city center is possible via one of the numerous bridges scattered on all sides. Architecturally interesting by themselves, you might like to park your car and walk across some. From the old town we drove across the Zähringen Bridge, built in 1924 that replaced a suspended bridge (1834), and is now 165-meters long. I noticed that we were on the top “deck” as when we circled back I saw the lower “deck” below. It reminded me of the Bay Bridge between Oakland and San Francisco!

We drove through the covered Pont de Berne (which looks a bit like the covered bridge in Lucerne) and parked the car to continue on foot. We walked toward the Pont du Mileu that has an impressive arc to the roadtop, and completely cobbled, dates from the middle ages. The Pont St-Jean was originally a covered, wooden bridge with 3 tuff-stone arches and in 1746 it was converted to the bridge you walk on today. From here you are a few minutes from the bottom of the funicular railway which takes you up to the old town, built in 1899. It is a listed historical monument, unique in Europe, and is actually the only funicular to run on waste water from the town, which it uses thanks to a system of counterweights. Each 2-minute journey costs Fr. 2.30/adult and Fr. 1.30/child. The wagons start on the same track at the same time and cross paths half-way up. If you prefer, there is an impressive staircase adjacent to it that is free-of-charge!

 

We had a gastromonic meal at Le Pérolles (www.leperolles.ch) on the street of the same name, with a very discreet entrance, and tooting a 17/20 by Gault & Millau and one star by the Guide Michelin, but there are many other restaurants offering seasonal menus at great prices everywhere you walk. The farmer’s market on Saturday morning will guarantee some great photos if you don’t forget your camera.

Once you regain your car you can circle back by Gottéron Bridge which is impressively positioned to see the whole city. Beyond this point there is another panoramic lookout point signposted where you can see everything from a bird’s eye view: Chapelle de Lorette.

There is an abundance of museums in the area and here is a sample:

—Musée de la bière Cardinal
Brasserie du Cardinal
Passage du Cardinal
1700 Fribourg
0848 125 000
www.cardinal.ch
(mentioned on page 100 in Know-it-all passport 2011/2012)

—Théâtre des Marionnettes
Derrière-les-Jardins 2
1700 Fribourg
026 322 85 13
www.marionnette.ch
(mentioned on page 101 in Know-it-all passport 2011/2012)

—Espace Jean Tinguely - Niki de Saint Phalle
Rue de Morat 2
1700 Fribourg
026 305 51 70
www.fr.ch/mahf

—Musée Gutenberg
Place Notre-Dame 16
1700 Fribourg
026 347 38 28
www.gutenbergmuseum.ch

—Fondation des Chemins de fer du Kaeserberg
9 impasse des Ecureuils
1763 Granges-Paccot
Fribourg
026 467 70 40
www.kaeserberg.ch

—Chemin de Fer du Gotteron
M.Cl. & Ph. Hermann
Ch. du Gottéron 17
1700 Fribourg
026 322 57 48
079 412 21 21
www.chemindeferdugotteron.ch
Also, you might like to visit the mini-railway if you are with kids (taken off the website):
It really is an eclectic little spot: besides a café (June through September) and a mini-train track, there is also a cave, which was once used to grow mushrooms but now is home to a restaurant car (this is open by reservation of at least 4 people from September to May)! There is a real family-friendly atmosphere here. As the adults enjoy a refreshing drink on the café’s terrace in summer or in the restaurant car in winter, kids can hop on the mini-train and ride around to their hearts’ content.

We had a coffee on the way back at the..

—Golf Resort de la Gruyère
Route du Château 1
1649 Pont-la-Ville
026 414 94 00
www.golfresort-lagruyere.ch
...which is beautifully located and offers beautiful food as well as rooms at reasonable rates.