Switzerland: The old town of Fribourg

The Lower Town of Fribourg

The funicular

The old town, or lower town, of Fribourg is aptly named. It is indeed necessary to dive into the gorge that shelters it to discover it.
The most picturesque way to get there, but also the most convenient, is the funicular that connects the lower town to the upper town, towards Place Georges Python.
For the more athletic, you can use the stairs that run along the funicular. Easy to go down but much more painful to go up!
For the record, the funicular works by gravity, loading wastewater from the city at the top and pulling the wagons down by its weight.
If a few decades ago we guessed what the counterweight was by the smell, especially in summer, this is no longer the case at all. In doubt I asked for confirmation of the liquid to the driver (a little grumpy), who confirmed that it was indeed the sewage of the city.
A simple and ecological means of transport.

The district of La Neuveville

At the exit of the funicular, you will find yourself in the district of Neuveville, also called St-Jean.
To walk, choose the road that does not climb. In Lower Town, everything that goes up brings you back to the upper town, but this is not really surprising.
Whichever path you take, you will arrive at the bridge of St-Jean and the Sarine that flows below.
I recommend a stop at the restaurant de la Clef, with its beautiful terrace overlooking the Sarine and offering you a beautiful view of the city.
The small church of St-Jean has a lot of charm, unfortunately on the side of a square that could have been charming, if it had not been recycled into a parking lot.
From there, you can continue towards the Auge district, or, on the right, try the ascent to the chapel of Lorette which overlooks the old town.

The Auge district

Continuing your stroll along the Sarine, you will arrive at the bridge “du Milieu” which marks the limit with the district of Auge.
A nice little square surrounded by restaurants: the “Tirlibaum”, “les Tanneurs” and other more “upscale” restaurants, but we will come back to this later.
Continuing your journey, you will cross the Bern Bridge, a magnificent wooden structure that spans the Sarine.
On the other side of the bridge, you can continue on your right towards the somewhat wild valley of Gottéron (this is also the name of the local hockey club, whose old ice rink was in the district), or go up to the Schoenberg district, much less interesting.
I propose you rather to resurface by retracing your steps a hundred meters, and passing by the stairs of the Stalden.
This street, very steep, offers you at its top a nice reward for your effort with one of the most beautiful terraces in Fribourg, at the restaurant “Le Belvédère“.
If you still have energy, the Cathedral awaits you a few hundred meters away. It was unfortunately closed when I got there.

Gentrification, a universal evil?

The districts of the lower town – the Neuveville and the Auge – were working-class, not to say poor, districts until the middle of the 20th century.
Some inhabitants of the time dreamed of moving into the upper town, a symbol of modernity and better social status. Many did so without realizing what they were losing: a unique soul and social connections.
At the same time, the wealthier classes took an interest in the lower town, having the means to invest in modernizing often modest housing.
Once working-class neighborhoods have become upscale neighborhoods.
This is the pervasive, detestable and logical process of gentrification.

I hope you enjoyed this walk.

Ciao!