Today we are talking about one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Murten Switzerland
It is on the southeastern shore of Lake Murten, only 30 kilometers west of Bern, and it is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Switzerland. It has very beautiful, picturesque lanes and alleys, a gorgeous old town with pleasant, shady arcades with restaurants and coffee shops, is very compact, very colorful, and certainly worth a visit. Today I’m going to tell you about the history of the place, what to see, and what to do there.
History Of Murten Switzerland
Murten is a town bordering German and French-speaking parts of Switzerland, so here people speak both German and French. Located on a lovely lakeside promenade with a wide range of water sports, different activities, and plenty of excursions and historical places to visit.
Murten has a rare personality and history that stretches back to 515. The very first mention of the place is in regards to the transfer of these lands as a gift to the monastery of Saint Moritz; that was in 515, as we said, but the fortress of Murten was already there, so the settlement there started much earlier. So the fortress was called Moratum, located on the shore of Lake Murten, and at the time, Murten belonged to Burgundy.
So Burgundy back in the day was a separate state, and today’s well-known to us friends in Switzerland, it does not exist. The medieval fortress walls of Murten have been preserved by the city’s defensive structures that were erected. The earliest ones were erected in 1238.
In the later years, they were reconstructed and strengthened, and only in the 20th century were they restored and opened to visitors. Today you’re free and welcome, and you definitely should walk on the old city walls. It is free, which is a very refreshing aspect of traveling in Switzerland.
Some things are free. The original name of Murten originated from the Celtic muridono, which means fortress on the shores of a lake. Pretty self-explanatory.
The fortress was first mentioned, as we pointed out in 515, with its Latin name Muratum, and until 1013, it existed on its own. Basically, it was just a fortress with no settlement. The city around the fortress appeared much later, in the middle of the 12th century.
The settlement could be called a city. Murten is remarkable predominantly for its old town, which has remained virtually unchanged since the Middle Ages, where the fortress walls remained as well as the city-forming castle fortress that we will see in a little while. Both were founded in roughly the 13th century.
The most houses in the old town date back to the 15th and 18th centuries. The city inside the walls is fairly small. It would take you roughly two hours to cover the entire city, which consists of only three streets.
Even though it’s quite small, it’s still worth a visit. For more than 200 years, the city was part of the Duchy of Savoy. In the middle of the 13th century, Peter of Savoy built a castle at the entrance of the city, and that was the basis of the former fortifications.
In 1475, Murten voluntarily became a part of the Swiss Confederation and fell under the rule of Bern. In 1476, the key battle of the European Middle Ages took place here. And here it’s worth mentioning if you don’t know anything about Swiss history and you are on a quiz that asks who won the battle and if the Swiss were in it. Your best bet is that those who were Swiss would be the winning side.
So this was the battle of Murten on June 22, 1476. The victory of the Confederates over the Burgundian army led to the death of the death of Duke Charles the Bold. Apparently, he was very bold, and this victory is celebrated to this day.
The population remained predominantly French-speaking. Over time, however, Germans began to settle the area, and Germans took over. Today, over 75 percent of people speak German, and the rest speak French.
It’s a very interesting fact that such small cities speak two languages. But yeah, that is the fact. So the city lies on the border of German- and French-speaking Switzerland.
From 1484 on, Murten was ruled alternately by two cantons for roughly 300 years, either Freiburg or Bern. I would definitely recommend walking on the city wall, aside from the fact that it’s free. It is a fascinating experience.
What to see in Murten Switzerland
A wonderful view opens on both sides. On the left, you’ll see the old town, and on the right, you’ll see some mountains and a lot of picturesque nature. In terms of interesting, unusual incidents that took place in the city, one of them would be on Town Hall Street.
Elephant Street
In 1866, a circus arrived in town, and there was an elephant who performed some tricks. Apparently, the elephant escaped and started crashing everything around him, and sadly, there was no better way to calm him down than to shoot him. So unfortunately, an elephant was shot dead, and since that time, the town hall street has been renamed Elephant Street.
Bern Gate
Another interesting site would be the Bern Gate. The most beautiful gate in the city was built here in the 13th century. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the Battle of Burgundians that we earlier spoke about, and the current gate dates back to the end of the 18th century.
What’s very interesting here is that the clock face on the outside of the city as you enter the city has only one clock hand, and its meaning is that it is the symbol of the unity and freedom of Switzerland.
Hauptgasse
The central street of Muten, Hauptgasse, is probably the most beautiful street here, with houses that were built in roughly the 17th and 18th centuries. Very bright, very festive decorations, a lot of baroque style.
The first floor is occupied by arcades with lots of restaurants. Here, we had our lunch. The truffle pizza I had was amazing.
Very few truffles, but very tasty nonetheless.
What to do in Murten Switzerland
Thanks to its beautiful location on the small hillside overlooking late Muten, Muten has always been a very popular tourist destination.
In the evening, people watch the sunset over the magnificent lake. The city offers many great activities, from swimming to kayaking to sailing. There are a lot of really cool routes.
You could visit many nearby cities. If you’re driving, you definitely should visit Bern as well. It’s near La Croix and Neuchâtel.
I’m slowly making our way to the castle. This is the castle that used to belong to the Savoy dynasty. It was built here in the 13th century, and from the castle, you can see a great view over the lake.
And that would be all that I wanted to share with you today.
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