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 Zähringen. 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 Zürich 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.
