Walking Tour of the City of Fribourg

August 23, 2018 -- We spent 4 days of our vacation week in Canton Valais, but after very hot days with thunderstorms in the afternoon, the weather changed to not-so-great from Thursday on, so we headed home via the wonderful medieval city of Fribourg, one of the best-maintained medieval cities in Europe (founded in 1157 by the Duke of Zähringen), a city which is not so sure if it is "French" or "German".

Our three-hour walking tour included walking on a section of the old city wall, crossing several bridges over the River Saane (Sarine in French; a river which carved its way through the molasse geology to form a ravine right through the city),  a wonderful lunch at the Swiss Marionette Theater Cafe, visiting the famous cathedral....   and the highlight: A ride on the funicular, the last remaining funicular in Switzerland which is powered solely by the city's waste water (filtered) on its way to the treatment plant (2000 L for a regular ride, 3000 L when the funicular is full). (Apparently this used to be a very common way to run funiculars). This technical marvel that is in operation since 1899 has no motor, uses no electricity, and has a funky smell....

Also, and this we only found out quite by accident, the Swiss artist Jean Tinguely comes from the city of Fribourg. His creations include moving art pieces out of metal and he created one of my favourite fountains, the Tinguely fountain in the city of Basel. There is a small version of such a fountain in Fribourg, which we had a look at in the "Parc des Grands Places" beside the modern theater before heading back to the train station. 

On our way from Canton Valais to Fribourg via Vevey on Lake Geneva

First glimpse of the cathedral while walking down the main shopping street in Fribourg. The road was full of trucks doing the early morning deliveries.

Part of the old city wall is open until October to walk on. In the back, the brand new (open to traffic in 2014) Poya bridge. 

Walking on the old city wall in Fribourg

After descending from the wall, this is the first bridge that crosses the Sarine River

From the first suspension bridge you get a good look at how the river carved its way through the molasse rock

We are now on the other side of Old City Fribourg.

Old city Fribourg high above the river.

Crossing back on the second bridge (Passerelle de Grabensaal), we can see the third bridge (Zähringer Bridge) and behind it the covered wooden bridge

On the smaller bridge below the Zähringer Bridge

Further upriver is the wooden covered bridge called Pont de Berne

Headed through one of the gates in the old city wall.

And across the "Pont de Berne" wooden covered bridge.

Attractive old buildings

Actually, we crossed a fifth bridge for thie view of the city before returning to the Marionette Museum where we had lunch

 

I am always captivated by these old signs

Cathédrale St. Nicholas de Fribourg

Cathédrale St. Nicholas de Fribourg

City Hall

Highlight of the day, the little funiculaire which takes you from the lower city to the upper part (can easily be walked on the stairs beside it)

The Funicular in Fribourg runs on city wastewater

2000L of wastewater in the lower wagon pulls it downward. At the bottom the water is released and filled in at the top again.

Tinguely fountain. Jean Tinguely was an artist who comes from Fribourg. According to Wikipedia: "His art is known officially as metamechanics. Tinguely's art satirized the mindless overproduction of material goods in advanced industrial society."

VIDEO: Tinguely Fountain in Fribourg (30-second video)