Bern, Jura & Mittelland - Discover Switzerland: Experience the Best of Switzerland - page 225

CANTON DE FRIBOURG
Canton de Fribourg (population 273,200) tots up 1671 sq km on the drawing board. Pre-
Alpine foothills rise grandly around its cold craggy feet; Gruyéres with its sprinkling of
small mountain resorts pierces its heart; and Fribourg heads the canton up north, where
pretty lakeside villages slumber between vineyards and fruit orchards.

Fribourg
POP 34,500 / ELEV 629M
Nowhere is Switzerland's language divide felt more keenly than in Fribourg (Freiburg) or
'Free Town', a medieval city where inhabitants on the west bank of the Sarine River speak
French, and those on the east bank of the Sanne speak German.

Sights

OLD TOWN
The 12th-century Old Town was laid out in simple fashion, with Grand-Rue as the main
street and parallel Rue des Chanoines/Rue des Bouchers devoted to markets, church and
civic buildings. The bridges here - quaint stone Pont du Milieu and cobbled, roof-covered
Pont du Berne - proffer great views.
Fribourg's famous Tilleul de Morat (Morat Linden Tree) stands in front of the Renais-
sance town hall (Grand-Rue).

| Neighbourhood

CATHÉDRALE DE ST NICOLAS DE MYRE
( www.cathedrale-fribourg.ch , in French; Rue des Chanoines 3; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 4pm Sat, 2-5pm
Sun) Before entering this brooding 13th-century Gothic cathedral, contemplate the main
portal with its 15th-century sculptured portrayal of the Last Judgment.
A 368-step hike up the cathedral's 74m-tall tower (adult/child Sfr3.50/1;

| Church

10am-noon &

2-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat, 2-5pm Sun Apr-Oct) affords wonderful views.