Medieval legacy

If you thought Switzerland was all chalets and chocolates, think again. There&rsquos a remarkable wealth of built heritage to be discovered in this alpine nation&rsquos medieval towns. And few can rival Fribourg, founded on the banks of the Sarine in 1157 by Berthold IV von Z&aumlhringen. Built between the twelfth and seventeenth centuries, Fribourg today offers the visitor a web of cobble-stoned streets converging on charming fountains. The Old Town consists of several neighbourhoods, the oldest (and closest to the river) being L&rsquoAuge and the youngest, Neuveville, &lsquothe newest town of the old part of town&rsquo. A funicular railway, which runs on wastewater using a system of counterweights, transports you every six minutes from Neuveville (in the Lower Town), to the pedestrianised area of downtown Fribourg atop a hill. While there are a number of monasteries and churches in town, the highlight has to be the Cathedral of St Nicholas, built between 1283 and 1490 and notable for its stained-glass windows and the panoramic view of the surrounding countryside from its 74m-high tower.

The information

Access There are direct trains from Z&uumlrich airport to Fribourg (1hr45min)

Where to stay The Best Western Hotel de la Rose (from CHF 160, hoteldelarose.ch), housed in a seventeenth-cenutry building, is close to the train station and town centre. The Auberge aux 4 Vents is an eclectic manor house set in a garden (CHF 260, aux4vents.ch). See fribourgtourisme.ch for more information.