Murten tourist information & hotel reservations.

We warmly welcome you to visit Murten and wish you a wonderful vacation.

Murten is located 18 kilometers north of Fribourg and 30 kilometers west of Bern. It is yet another ancient town in the country and also perhaps the most well-preserved and beautiful. It is situated on the so called "language demarcation line", therefore some of the people there speak French, some German some of them both. Murten lies on the southern bank of Lake Murtensee (Lac de Morat in French). Near the town there was a fierce battle on June 22, 1476, between the Confederates and Charles the Bold of Burgundy.

Murten Holidays

There are numerous houses from the 15th to the 18th century and around the town there is also medieval rampart. You can take a walk along the town’s wall and admire the view of the Old Town (Altstadt) with its castle, the lake and the Jura Mountains. The castle was built in the 13th century by Duke Peter of Savoy and although it looks a bit gloomy, it is quite impressive. You can freely enter the courtyard and from there you can enjoy the view of the lake and the Jura Mountain.
The main attraction in the town is the main street – Hauptgasse, which goes along the centre of the Old Town. By taking that street you will reach the Bernegate, which is in baroque style and contains clock towers from the 18th century – the oldest in Switzerland.

Next to the castle there is the Musée Historique where you can see exhibitions from excavations, showing the history of the town up to the Battle of Morat in the 15th century. The museum is located in an old mill, 8 centuries old, and there you can watch a film for the Battle of Murten which was very important for the fate of the Swiss cantons. You can visit it from April till October, daily except for Monday.
Near Murten you can go to Lake Murtensee (Lac de Morat). It occupies a total territory of about 26 square kilometers and its deepest point is located 45 meters below the surface. From May to September there are boat trips available around the lake and through the other 3 lakes. You can go from Murten to Neuchâtel or Biel (Bienne) and pass through the canals in the Great Marshes.
You can go bike riding and admire one of the most amazing scenery in the area around Lake Murten. You can make a trip without a guide and take maps from the tourist office. Bikes are available for renting at the train station. By a bike you can go to the villages of Faoug, Salavaux, Bellerive, and Vully – all of them on the shore of the lake. The trip will be about 40 kilometers long and would take around 4 hours.

Murten Transportation

There is a direct train from Fribourg to Murten and the trip takes about half an hour. The trains are pretty often and make 6 stops in other villages. Murten can also be reached by train from Ins, which lies between Zurich and Paris.

Murten is reachable by boat from the lakes north and west of it. From May to September there are also ferries connecting Neuchâtel and Murten. The trip through Lac de Neuchâtel, Lac de Murtensee and La Broye canal takes almost two hours.
From May to September you can take a ferry from Biel (Bienne) to Murten every day, except Monday. The trip passes through the lakes Bielersee, Lac de Neuchâtel, and Murtensee and the connecting canals.
By car from Bern you should take Route 10 in western direction and at then turn south along Route 22.

Visitor Information
The Murten Tourist Information Office is located at Französische Kirschgasse 6 throughout the whole week except Sunday.

For flights, trains and car-rental reservations as well as for buses, coaches and taxi ski transfers refer to the general Switzerland Transportation page!