Le Bourg is the historic quarter of Fribourg, opened by Berthold V of Zähringen, Duke of Zähringen and Burgundy and founder of the town. The duke had his castle built here in 1157, a tower on a rocky outcrop that is now the Place de Hotel-de-Ville and juts out towards the Sarina.
The two main churches, the Cathedral of St. Nicholas and the Church of the Friars Minor Conventual, as well as the Museum of Art and History, the Espace Jean-Tinguely, the Gutemberg Museum and the Swiss Sewing Machine Museum are also located here.
The Old Town of Fribourg was built in succession to the castle, during the second half of the 12th century. The medieval quarter is easy to visit, as it is divided by a single wide avenue, from which several parallel streets branch off, including Rue des Chanoines and Rue des Bouchers, both of which were characterized by their markets, church and administrative buildings.
Later, the settlement expanded down towards the 128-km-long Sarina River, which flows through the canton of Fribourg. From the bridges in this area, the 17th-century stone Pont du Milieu and the 13th-century covered Pont du Berne, you can enjoy splendid views.
