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City guide

Fribourg, Switzerland

Fribourg or Freiburg is a municipality, a town and the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and district of La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, administrative and educational centre on the cultural border between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland.

Type CityPopulation 38,365

Why go

  • Municipality in Switzerland.
  • Known for Sarine River, St-Nicolas Cathedral is a gothic masterpiece built in the 13th-century of the Middle Ages..
  • Served by Ecuvillens Airfield.

History

Fribourg or Freiburg is a municipality, a town and the capital of the Swiss canton of Fribourg and district of La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, administrative and educational centre on the cultural border between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland. Its Old City, one of the best-maintained in Switzerland, sits on a small rocky hill above the valley of the Sarine. In 2018, it had a population of 38,365.

Restaurants & places to go

Pizza, Restaurant · Opening hours: Tu-Th 08:00-23:30; Fr 08:00-24:00; Sa 09:00-24:00; Su 09:00-22:00 Features: step-free access · 1 Route D'Arconciel,… · restaurant-pizzeria-croix-blanche.ch
Indoor
Regional, Restaurant · Features: vegetarian options · 29 Route du Lac, La Roche, 1634 · restaurant-lunique.ch
Indoor
Cafe · Opening hours: Mo-Fr 06:30-18:00; Sa-Su 07:00-18:00 Features: outdoor seating · 15 Impasse des Terreaux, Riaz, 1632 · cheznathalie.ch
Indoor
Local, Pizza, Restaurant · Features: outdoor seating · camping-la-foret.ch
Indoor
Restaurant · Features: outdoor seating, takeaway, vegetarian options · labuvettedulac.ch
Indoor
Restaurant · restaurant · Route du Village · croix-verte.ch
Indoor
Cafe · cafe · 48 Route de Fribourg, La Roche, 1634 · patisserie.ch
Indoor
Restaurant · restaurant · 34 Route Principale, Vuippens, 1633 · maison-de-ville.ch
Indoor

19 more places in the Ultimate edition. See the Ultimate edition →

Airports

Bern Airport (BRN) 40 km to the centre
Bern, BE, CH — Indoor waiting areas, but some gates board by bus or on foot across the apron — plan for the weather on the day. ✈ 1 airline (SkyWork Airlines) · direct flights to 12 destinations incl. Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Cologne, Hamburg… (OpenFlights route data).
✈ Serves Zürich (92 km) — the low-cost way in
✈ Airlines & flight paths — 1 airline, 12 direct destinations

Routes and aircraft from OpenFlights (open data; a point-in-time snapshot). * = codeshare. Linked destinations open their own guidebook. Flight numbers are not in the open data — they come from the airline or a paid schedule feed.

Indoor | Outdoor
Ecuvillens Airfield 8.7 km to the centre
Ecuvillens, FR, CH
Outdoor
La Gruyère Airfield 9.4 km to the centre
Epagny, FR, CH
Outdoor
Saanen Airfield 24 km to the centre
Saanen, BE, CH
Outdoor
Zweisimmen Airfield 26 km to the centre
Zweisimmen, BE, CH
Outdoor

Getting there by ferry

Ferry terminal
Ferry terminal · 16 km from the centre
Outdoor

Where things are

Full geo-intelligence in Better Mapping →
Local search powered by Geoverts and geo-intelligence by Better Mapping base map © OSM

Photographs

When to go

Tourist season
May – September

The warmer, longer-day half of the year is the safest bet for a first visit.

Shoulder season
April, October

Cooler and quieter, with fewer visitors and better value.

Worth avoiding
Deep winter

Short days and the coldest weather — check local conditions before travelling.

Getting there & around

Getting there. The nearest airport on record is Ecuvillens Airfield; 3 other airports serve the wider area. Check rail and road links from the tourism sources below. By water: 1 ferry terminal within 20 km.

Getting around. Use the map above to orient yourself; nearby hotels, attractions and places to eat are listed from the live Ultimate data for Fribourg, Switzerland. Local transit details will be added as the guide is expanded.

Trains & rail

National rail
National rail

Coaches & shuttles

Intercity coach

Tours & experiences

Sightseeing