Fribourg en diagonale
Overview
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Distance 35 km
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Duration 9 h 25 min
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Ascent 1000 m
Intro
Forests and pastures to the summit of the Gibloux. Easily reached telecommunications tower with 360 degrees panoramic view. On along the Kapellenpfad trail through richly varied meadow and cultivated landscapes. Impressive rock faces on the Saane river. The section can easily be shortened.
Description
The hike starts in Bulle, the centre of the region of Gruyère as well as the second biggest town in the canton of Fribourg. Its picturesque townscape boasts early 19th century townhouses and an imposing 13th century castle. The starting point for this leg is the bull by the railway station exit. Once you have passed through the residential neighbourhood, you will soon cross the motorway. Then the scenery changes: pastures, farmland and the path through a meadow mark a stark contrast to urban life. Now you will climb almost three hundred metres until you reach Neyruz. Delightful views of the Fribourg Prealps will accompany you all the way. Keep walking through patches of woodland and meadows until you come to Charbonnière.
Now it is time for a final climb to the summit of Le Gibloux. The TV tower here is over 118.7 metres high and its viewing platform is at 37 metres. This gigantic structure is made of just under 500 tonnes of concrete and steel, offering magnificent views of Lake Gruyère, the peaks of the Grand Muveran and Vanil Noir, the mountains of the Gastlosen range and even the Gantrisch mountain. Then comes the descent to Farvagny. The big, neo-Gothic Catholic church of St. Vincent is a striking sight. If you prefer, you can break up this leg of the journey at this point. There are regular public transport services to Bulle and Fribourg.
From Posat onwards, the route overlaps with the Way of St. James. After around seven hours of walking, there comes another change of scenery: the airport in Ecuvillens, where small planes take off and land. Walk through Posieux along the meadows to Ste-Apolline bridge. This beautiful, 18-metre-long bridge of stone was rebuilt in 1566 after a fire. Next to the bridge is a chapel dedicated to Saint Apollonia, a martyr who lived in third century Alexandria.
Above the river Saane, known as “La Sarine” in French, the route leads on to Fribourg railway station. You will pass the bridge over the river Glâne along the way. This bridge once connected Bulle with the Lake Geneva region. Then in the early 1970s, its role was superseded by the motorway. Nevertheless, Fribourg remains very much a town of bridges in two different senses: a total of twelve bridges connect the surrounding area with the medieval cantonal capital and, being located on the language border, Fribourg forms a bridge between French- and German-speaking Switzerland.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Start location |
Bulle
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Fribourg
|
| Direction |
One way
|
| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
1000 m
|
| Ascent |
1000 m
|
| Descent |
1150 m
|
| Distance |
35 km
|
| Duration |
9 h 25 min
|
| Duration back |
9 h 35 min
|
| Technical requirements |
Easy
|
| Physical requirements |
Difficult
|
| Season |
May - October
|
| Theme |
With panoramic view, To an alp
|
| More information | https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/wanderland/etappe81... |
Quick Facts
Route number
