Fribourg is one of Switzerland's most striking medieval cities, built on a dramatic sandstone peninsula carved out by a loop of the Sarine (Saane) river. The old town tumbles down steep terraces to the river below, connected by covered wooden bridges and Gothic fountains. It is also one of the few genuinely bilingual cities in Switzerland — French on one side of the river, German on the other — and that duality gives it an unusually layered character.
The lower town, the Basse-Ville, is the older and more atmospheric part: narrow lanes, Gothic facades, and some remarkable late-medieval religious art. The upper town, around the cathedral and the main square, is more formal but still very much alive. Jean Tinguely, the kinetic sculptor, was born here, and his influence surfaces in unexpected places around the city.
Fribourg is a university town, which keeps it young and relatively lively during term time, though it quietens considerably at weekends when students disperse. It makes an excellent base for a day or two: well-connected by rail to Bern and Lausanne, and within reach of the Gruyères valley and the Fribourg Alps.