Route 4: Section 6 – cycling Thun to Fribourg, Switzerland

Highlights: Thun, Fribourg

Route 4: Section 6 (Thun 559m–Fribourg585m)

Stats from SwitzerlandMobility.ch (http://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/routes/route/etappe-0878.html): 55km long, height difference Thun–Fribourg 950m (880m in the opposite direction). Their site has the full profile.

October 2018

Both towns at beginning & end of this Section are well worth a visit, with the iconic castle of Thun (see 99:03 , 99:04 , 8:03, 4:05) and the old town of Fribourg (see 4:07 ). 

The most scenic part of the trail is instead between Thun and Schwarzenburg.

Left Thun, the road starts a gentle climb into the hills of Canton Bern.

In this autumn day, the sky was cloudy and the landscape misty, preventing the panoramic views of the Alps seen in clearer days. The leaves had not yet turned into their orange-yellow colors but the trees were at the peak of their harvest season. In fact, I stopped many times to collect handfuls of walnuts, and apples that had fallen along the path. I felt like a squirrel accumulating food for its winter season….

Peculiar to this Section are the many covered bridges, the most I’ve seen so far in a single stretch. 

 

Past Schwarzenburg, on the way to Fribourg, the route follows part of the pilgrims’ path to Santiago de Compostela.  Some of the ancient stones are still visible at St. Antoni.

 

In Tafers there is also the old chapel of St. Jakob dedicated to the pilgrims passing by.

 

FRIBOURG (see 4:07 ) is a beautiful and picturesque medieval town.  Several old towers stay as lookouts at the perimeter of Fribourg with amazing views onto the medieval bourg, which appears as surrounded by a “canyon”. 

 

There are many sites worth visiting in Fribourg, first and foremost the Gothic Cathedral (14th century).  Its high tower reminded me of the Lausanne’s Cathedral. 

Links to Introduction and other Sections:

• BIKING THROUGH SWITZERLAND (with an electric bike)
• Route 4: Section 1 (St. Margrethen–Appenzell)
• Route 4: Section 3 – Glarus to Flüelen
• Route 4: Section 4 – Flüelen to Sörenberg
• Route 4: Section 5 (Sörenberg–Thun)
• Route 4: Section 7 (Fribourg–Montbovon)
• Route 4 (Alpine Panorama Route): Section 8-end (Montbovon-Aigle)