Medieval University City

Fribourg, surrounded on three sides by the Sarine river is the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and the district La Sarine. It is located on the Swiss Plateau, and is a major economic, administrative and educational center on the cultural border between German and French Switzerland.

Both French and German are widely spoken by the native residents. The city is relatively small, it is easy to get around, and the public transportation options are great. Because of the university, the student life is very lively. The University of Fribourg was founded in 1889 and today it has 10,000 students. Another good viewpoint is the Italian-style early Baroque Loreto Chapel. From the Neuveville district (in the Old Town), a funicular railway takes you up to the pedestrianised area of the town centre. The old city of Fribourg, one of the best maintained in Switzerland, sits on a small rocky hill above the valley of the Sarine.

The city centre has mainstream brands and department stores while the old town is the place to go for specialty shops. Two major department stores in Fribourg are Manor and Fribourg Centre (DE/FR), which is located in front of the train station.

News for Chocolates lovers. The Chocolate Villars (FR) is a special Fribourg stop, having over one hundred years of tradition and expertise. The best-known of Fribourg’s regional food specialities is the moitié-moitié cheese fondue, which combines Gruyères and Vacherin Fribourgeois cheese.