Fribourg, gourmet city

Capital of the canton of the same name, this medieval city of bridges is also the link between the French- and Germanspeaking areas and their cultures. No fewer than eleven GaultMillau- listed restaurants are waiting to be discovered, at enjoyably reasonable prices: an impressive number for a city of just 35,000 inhabitants.

Pre-Alps: cheese and chocolate

Up in the alpine meadows grazing cows polish off 100 kg of lush grass, full of wild herbs such as thyme, caraway and vanilla-scented wild orchids daily. The result is 25 litres of gloriously creamy milk every day.

When you order a coffee in the Fribourg Pre-Alps, it is often served with a small wood or chocolate container filled with double cream that drops heavy and rich from the spoon. This double crème also goes sublimely well with meringues or berries.

Nature and nourishment come together at the gastronomic level in Les Paccots. Along the gourmet trail here, in little alpine chalets, you can stop to taste the typical dishes of the region.

Freshly caught fish and local wine in the lakes region

Just an hour from the chain of the Pre-Alps lie the small historic towns of Murten, on the lake of the same name, and Estavayerle- Lac, on Lake Neuchâtel. Here, down by the lakeside, the leisurely pace of life has an almost Mediterranean feel. The perfect accompaniment to the views of the countless terraces of vines on the hillside is a dish of freshly caught fish – fillets of perch, perhaps – served with a wine from Mont-Vully, one of the smallest winegrowing areas in Switzerland. From Murten you can also take a boat across the lake to Mont-Vully itself, and stroll along the wine trail – learning about the local wines along the way – while enjoying gorgeous views back down to the lake.