Fribourg tourist information & hotel reservations.

We warmly welcome you to visit Fribourg and wish you a wonderful vacation.

Fribourg is located 35 kilometers south-west of Bern and 53 kilometers north-east of Vevey. It is neatly situated among lakes and mountains and was founded in 1157. It now has a popular university and its population is about 40 000 people. Fribourg used to be an important Catholic city and its dyers, weavers and tanners were well known in the country. It became part of the Swiss Confederation in 1481 and is now the capital of a canton with the same name. Fribourg is a beautiful rural canton and it quite popular with its cows from the Holstein breed. The town is full of medieval houses and a day spend on its streets is worth it.

The most popular place in Fribourg is St. Nicholas's Cathedral, on Notre-Dame, which has a magnificent bell tower in Gothic style, visible from far away. The most remarkable thing in it is the tympanum of the main door, which is surmounted by a rose window. The nave of the cathedral is from the 13th and 14th century, but the choir underwent a reconstruction in the 17th. From the 15th century is La Chapelle Saint-Sépulcre with its beautiful stained glass and a famous organ.
Near the cathedral you can see old aristocrat’s houses in Gothic style, surrounded by steep streets and squares with great fountains.  

The Town Hall (Rathaus in German; Hôtel de Ville in French) is also an attractive edifice from the 16th century. You can find it on route des Alpes and see its octagonal clock tower, on top of which mechanical figures strike every hour. The building is the home of the Parliament of Fribourg. Outside women in traditional farmer dresses sell different goods every Wednesday and Saturday.
Also an important place is the Franciscan church Eglise des Cordeliers, north of the above mentioned cathedral. The choir dates back from the 13th century, the nave from the 18th and a gorgeous wood triptych from 1513. The main attraction in the church is the altarpiece above the main altar done by artists called the “Masters of the Carnation” in the 15th century.
You should not also miss the art and history museum (Musée d'Art et d'Histoire; Museum für Kunst und Geschichte), located on 12, rue de Morat, in Hôtel Ratze from the 16th century. In it you can see prehistoric, Roman and medieval collections as well as an impressive set of Burgundian belt buckles. There are also many sculptures showing the history of the town from the 11th to the 20th century. Another amazing exhibition is that of stained glass windows from the 15th to the 18th century. There you will find also the biggest collection in the country wooden sculptures from the 16th century. The museum is not open on Monday.
By a funicular you can reach the upper Fribourg and see Ponte de Berne – a covered wooden bridge from the end of the 16th century. From the cafes on rue de Romont or rue de Lausanne you can see the local people passing by.
Above the river there is a hill from where you can take a panoramic look at the Bernese Alps. You can go on further exploration with a bike, hired from the train station on place de la Gare. Around the town you can visit Schwarzsee (the Black Lake) – 27 kilometers from the centre. You can go there throughout the whole year and the surroundings are among the most beautiful in the area.

Fribourg Transportation

If you travel by train you can go to Fribourg by taking the main train line which connects Zurich and Bern with Lausanne and Geneva. The trip from Lausanne takes about 45 minutes and from Bern – only 25.
By car from Bern you should follow the N12 in southwest direction. From Vevey take also N12 but in northeast direction.

Visitor Information
The Office du Tourisme is situated at 1, place de la Gare. It is open throughout the whole week except for Sunday. From October to April it is also closed on Saturday afternoon.

For flights, trains and car-rental reservations as well as for buses, coaches and taxi ski transfers refer to the general Switzerland Transportation page!