180° panoramic view © Jacques Kuenlin

Fribourg’s train station is high on the hill overlooking the Old Town from the northwest, with the brand-new bus terminal beneath. As you emerge, Avenue de la Gare heads at an angled left down to the central Place Python (pronouced pee-tohh). From here, the various districts of the Old Town cover the hill in front of you. Rue de Lausanne is the main thoroughfare, heading east and down to the Bourg district, centred on Place Notre-Dame (aka Place Tilleul) and the Cathedral. From the Bourg, steep lanes cascade south down the hillside into Neuveville, while Grand’Rue heads east down to Auge, the oldest part of the Old Town at the tip of Fribourg’s peninsula. It’s a walk of about 1.5km – downhill all the way – from the station to Auge.

The tourist office is beside the station – turn right as you come out (Mon–Fri 9am–12.30pm & 1.30–6pm, Sat 9am–noon; June–Sept also Sat 1.30–4pm; 026/321 31 75, www.fribourgtourism.ch and www.pays-de-fribourg.ch). Cheery and efficient staff can book rooms and provide a wealth of information on the city and the whole canton, which extends as far south as Gruyères and also takes in Murten/Morat and Estavayer-le-Lac (in Chapter 3). Ask for details on the many easy countryside walks which start from the city centre.