Freiburg Canton - A Medieval
Treasure
By Caroline M. Jackson
As the
intercity train zipped between Zurich and Geneva, I caught a glimpse of the
medieval town of Freiburg nestled in a deep wooded valley spanned by an
enormous bridge. At that moment I resolved my next Swiss itinerary would
include this historic town. A year later, I was not to be disappointed.
On arrival at
the tourist office which is near the train station, I discovered that the
city of Freiburg is capital of the canton of the same name and sits on
the border between Switzerland’s French and German-speaking regions. After
studying my free map, I decided this historic town begged to be visited a
pied. As I strolled down the steep cobbled streets I walked deeper into
history spanning nearly one thousand years. Winding narrow streets lined
with Gothic houses opened up onto squares boasting Medieval fountains.
Religion is deeply woven into Freiburg’s history with representation from
the Franciscan, Capuchin and Jesuit Catholic Orders. Top of my list was the
Franciscan Church with its wooden triptych and the Cathedral of St. Nicholas
with a spectacular view from its 74m high tower.
Like a
protective ribbon, the Sarine River enfolds Freiburg’s medieval Old Town
which is located on a forested peninsula. The river also creates a
linguistic divide with most inhabitants on the west bank speaking French and
across the river on the east bank, German. It was therefore no surprise to
learn that the town boasts a well-known bilingual university. Many
street signs are in both French and German and the friendly locals slipped
quickly from speaking one language to the other without missing a heartbeat.
One distinguished gentleman on hearing our Canadian accents, invited
my husband and I into his home to see his million dollar view. As soon as
the heavy wood door closed behind us, I felt as though we had walked into a
time warp. A narrow arched hallway led into a library which opened onto a
private terrace. The view from this precipitous lookout was indeed
spectacular.
Later, while
walking alongside the meandering Sarine River, six bridges afforded stunning
views and perfect subjects for picture taking. My favorite was the
Bern Bridge, a covered bridge made of wood and the expansive Zaehringen span
bridge which I had originally spotted from the train on my previous trip.
Feeling rather
saturated with all this rich culture, it was time to have a lunch break and
where best to go but to one of the oldest buildings in Rue de Zaehringen.
The restaurant was so busy at street level that I was escorted upstairs to a
quieter table next to a window. Over lunch I was able to spread out my
map. With steep winding streets and a dose of Trans-Atlantic jetlag, I
had lost my bearings. The map showed a funicular which would transport
me from the medieval part of town up to the more modern upper part of the
city. Inaugurated in 1899, this fascinating little cable railway runs on
water, with the two green cars counterbalancing each other in ascending and
descending movements. Later, despite the strange odor from the water
cylinder, my knees thanked me for the ride up the steep incline.
No one should
visit the canton of Freiburg without a trip to the charming Medieval city of
Gruyeres a short jaunt to the south. In bygone days, Gruyeres belonged to
the counts and its heraldic representation of the crane (in French grue),
inspired the name Gruyeres. Enclosed by 12thcentury ramparts, its fairytale
castle is picture postcard perfect. The pedestrian-only village does not
deter the hundreds of tourists from parking below and pouring into the
village above. We sallied along the cobbled street then visited the
fortified castle to admire its treasures and Flemish tapestries. By
dinner time, the tourists had vanished so we practically had the town
to ourselves. That evening we stayed in an atmospheric hotel a few minutes
walk from Gruyeres.
Just a
ten-minute walk downhill from Gruyeres, in Prigny, is a demonstration cheese
dairy where the master cheese-maker daily produces up to 48 wheels of
tangy yellow Gruyere cheese. Every ten days, each 35 kg round is turned over
and brushed with a mixture of water and salt. Upon arrival, I was given a
head set which enlightened me on the intricacies of cheese making and
everything I didn’t know about cows. For example, a cow daily drinks
85L of water, 25L of milk and eats 100 kilos of fresh grass. From now
on, I will not complain about the cost of cheese.
With the
clouds clearing from the mountain tops, we decided to work off all the
cheese sampling by taking a hike in the surrounding Pre-Alp countryside. The
area is a paradise for hikers with its well-marked trails zigzagging through
rolling mountains, forests, vineyards and skirting ribbon lakes. On one such
sojourn, we stopped to have a bite to eat at an Alp Hut called ‘Chez Budgi’.
The meal consisted of home cured ham, potatoes covered in double cream and
the most delicious Gruyere cheese fondue. We were the only foreigners in the
restaurant and I don’t think the owner had ever seen a credit card. To
mark our departure, our host dashed out to his balcony and rang all the
cowbells above his door. We positively waddled down the hill and resolved to
eat nothing but salads for the next week.
http://www.pays-de-fribourg.ch
Where we
stayed:
NH Fribourg http://www.nh-hotels.com
just 300m from the railway station.
Gruyeres:
Hostellerie des Chevaliers http://www.gruyeres-hotels.ch/chevaliers
- ask for a room overlooking the valley.
Where we ate
in Freiburg:
Auberge de Zaehringen – one of the oldest houses.
Contact
information:
Switzerland Tourism: http://www.MySwitzerland.com
