Fribourg (French: Fribourg, German: Freiburg or Freiburg im Üechtland) is the capital of the Swiss Canton of Fribourg on the river named Saane (in German) or Sarine (in French).
Some numbers
- Elevation
- mean 610 m; the highest point is the Schönberg (702 m)
- Languages
- French (ca. 21.240 inhabitants) and German (ca. 8.288 inhabitants)
History
The town was founded in 1157 by Berchtold IV von Zähringen.
It has been a member of the Swiss Confederation since 1481.
Sights
As its sister city Bern Fribourg has preserved its medieval center as a whole that is now one of the largest in Europe. Consisting of the neighborhoods Bourg, Auge and Neuveville its old town is rich in fountains and churches dating from the 12th century until the 17th century. Its Gothic cathedral, reaching 76 meters in height, has been built between 1283 and 1490.
The fortifications of Fribourg form the most important medieval military architecture of Switzerland: 2 kilometers of ramparts, 14 towers and one big bulwark .
Education
Schools and the University are bilingual French and German. It is possible to follow schools in either language at any level.
Miscellaneous
Canton and capital share the name but have different coat of arms.
External links
Last updated: 10-11-2005 16:43:10
