Fribourg-Swizerland

Fribourg is the Swiss region where the French and German languages and
cultures merge together. Fribourg is a beautiful little town built on
a hillside. Red-tiled buildings in the old section lead your way up
from the Saane River to the Gothic St. Nicholas Cathedral. It also has
a pretty Town Hall and a Museum of Art and History.

Founded in 1157 by the Duke of Zaehringen the city of Fribourg is well
known for its old city and its medieval fortifications. Fribourg is
located where the Germanic and Romanesque cultures meet, thus the city
is bilingual, with French and German being the official languages.
The city is comprised of just over 35,000 inhabitants with approximately
double that number if one includes the immediate surrounding suburbs.
Fribourg has few truly (if any) "urban problems", yet has some of the
conveniences such as efficient public transportation and cultural
offerings. The city experienced a kind of economic and cultural boom
in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s when it was joined to the major
cities of Europe by means of a new highway. The Golden Tulip Hotel and
the Post Office attest to this boom, and although they are not
considered the most aesthetic of structures, nobody doubts their
historic value. Of course, the centerpiece and one of the most
remarkable landmarks in Fribourg is the Cathedral of St. Nicholas.

Other attractions include the Pont de Berne, one of the oldest covered
wooden bridges of Switzerland, the Gorges du Gotteron, a small and
idyllic valley extending from the magnificent vielle-ville/Altstadt,
and its great number of houses dating back to the middle-ages.
Fribourg also has different museums (Museum of Art and History, Museum
of Natural History, Swiss Museum of the Beer and Swiss Museum of the
Sewing Machine), theatres (Marionettes Theatre of Fribourg, Theatre of
the City, etc.) and public and private art galleries (Art and Tradition,
Gallery of the Cathedral, etc.).



Fribourg is conveniently located on the Intercity train line and
therefore has express service to the major cities in Switzerland. Bern:
20 min., Lausanne: 45 min., Geneva: 75 min., Zürich: 90 min., Luzern:
90 min., Basel: 90 min., and Lugano: 330 min. Students can easily take
advantage of the cultural opportunities offered in these nearby cities.
Day trips are very common and easy to do. There is a direct bullet train
from Bern or Lausanne to Paris, taking only four and a half hours. Milan
is five hours away.
The city of Fribourg is also home to Europe’s only truly bilingual
French-German university with a student body of about 10,000 students,
which also provides for many cultural diversions.

Perhaps the most interesting cultural aspect of Fribourg is its bilingual
character. The region is situated on the Sarine River, the linguistic
frontier of Switzerland (affectionately called the "Rösti Graben".) This
geographic barrier more or less separates French-speaking Switzerland
from German-speaking Switzerland. The population of Fribourg is
approximately 60% French-speaking and 40% German-speaking. Though most
inhabitants speak both languages with ease, having a basic knowledge of
French is helpful..
Many people enjoy Switzerland for its famous mountains - the Alps and the
Jura. In the summer and autumn there is hiking or mountain biking from
the Fribourg region up into the Alps. In addition, the nearby lakes
provide great swimming and windsurfing possibilities.

Of course, in winter there is skiing considered to be some of the best in
the world. By automobile, Fribourg is close to some well-known ski resorts
such as Gstaad, 50 min.; Verbier, 75 min.; Grindelwald, 75 min.; and
Crans-Montana, 90 min.