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The most spontaneous ideas can usually end up in one of the nicest days of the week. My partner took a day off and we decided to go on a trip we decided to trace the footsteps of his childhood. His grandmother comes from the Murten region and so we set off in the morning to enjoy our lunch in a cozy spot around Lake Murten. Find out which places I can recommend you see yourself
I grew up in Berne and Solothurn and therefore know Murten from previous excursions by ship. A wonderful 3-lake tour can be started from Biel. Floating through canals between the lakes or the view over the water; I've always thought that this tour has a special character. As a stopover on the boat trip, Murten, a city on the water with a historic old town and a ring wall from the 13th century, invites you.
As idyllic as the town on the lake is, the legendary Röstigraben (the imaginary border between French and German speaking part of Switzerland) is not far and you can hear Swiss German and French spoken in the streets. Those who live in the area grow up bilingual. In the many small shops and restaurants, however, German is spoken as the official language, so dying of thirst is almost impossible.
Tip: a circular hike around the lake takes about 2 hours. Alternatively, there is also the wine trail and, on the way, a chance to marvel at the sandstone caves from World War I
Hotel Bad Murtensee was recommended to us for lunch. The hotel's Beach House is directly on the shore of the lake, a small holiday oasis with seating in the shade. With the view over Lake Murten and Mont Vully, a destination between the lakes, we enjoyed our lunch break here. But we still wanted to see the old town. There isn’t much tourism here in the city of almost 9,000 souls, so the city invites you to linger. The well-preserved old town with the curtain wall and towers, the historical museum in an old mill and the lakeshore are the attractions in Murten.
The old town consists of 3 longitudinal axes and a cross street and covers an area of 200 by 300 meters. Most of the houses date back to the Baroque period of the 17th and 18th centuries. The curtain wall is one of the best preserved fortifications in Switzerland and was extensively renovated in the last century.
Interesting: in 1866 a circus elephant broke out and killed its keeper. After the chase, the animal was held in an alleyway and shot with a cannon.
In the alleys of Murten there were all kinds of opportunities for a coffee break. We made ourselves comfortable outside the Aebersold bakery and ate a traditional Nidlechueche. This cream cake, which is unique in its production, contains probably a thousand calories, bit it’s worth every one.
To end the day, I recommend you make a reservation at the Chesery. A restaurant that is all about wine, cheese and enjoyment. A fondue on the sun terrace is twice as delicious as elsewhere.
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