Switzerland — Journal of All Blog Posts

Ballenberg, set against the backdrop of the Swiss Alps

Do you love the rustic beauty of a Swiss chalet set in an alpine setting? There’s something special about these rural mountain farms and homes, and when I learned that Switzerland somehow brought together over 100 of these historic buildings into a 160-acre open-air museum, I knew I had to visit.

Ballenberg is a museum, a place to stroll in nature, and a working farm, too. You can travel back in time while you explore the many historic homes, barns, and cabins, all while interacting with farm animals aplenty. During my visit, I came upon flop-eared rabbits, pigs eating from a trough, chickens parading about, bleating goats, and, of course, cows.

Free-range chickens roaming around an ancient barn at Ballenberg

After paying an entry fee at the front gate, you are free to stroll at your own pace, and enter the maintained-but-not-polished interior of most buildings. I appreciated the museum’s dedication not to bring the buildings back to a new state, instead, they respect the age and history of the structures. The result is remarkable access to ancient structures; getting up-close to the original materials, windows, hardware, and in one case, layers of vintage 19th century wallpaper.

Some buildings at Ballenberg are staged, using the museum’s collection of 45,000 authentic Swiss objects, creating a snapshot of how the buildings would have been used back in the period of its construction. This includes stoves, beds, tables, dishware, clothing, farm equipment, and more.

A glimpse inside a historic home at Ballenberg

You can also explore the working barns, watch farmers in the fields, and visit with the animals. I especially enjoyed walking into a cow barn to get an up-close look at Swiss cowbells, still traditionally worn by farm animals throughout the Switzerland. The cows were also pretty friendly!

Swiss cow wearing a traditional cattle bell in one of Ballenberg’s historic barns

I spent a year abroad in Switzerland as a high school exchange student, so I was already aware of some of the traditional Swiss clothing. This did not prepare me for the diversity of regional costumes on display at Ballenberg. Just take a look at these pleated sleeves, below!

Regional Costumes on display at Ballenberg Museum

I am struck by the expansive, gorgeously maintained trails, gardens, and clear signage, as they allow self-guided wandering through the museum grounds, region-by-region, to learn all about the history of these Swiss buildings. As you stroll through the charming twists and turns of the well-designed trail system, and you should certainly leave yourself at least 3-4 hours to explore the park, you will come across surprise after surprise. I was particularly charmed by the working two-wheel watermill, and a remarkably cute chapel, seen below. Inspect closely the construction materials of each building such as original slate roofing and decorative elements like carved words, striped shutters, or leaded glass windows.

How to Visit Ballenberg

If you are not already aware, Switzerland is connected by a fantastic public transportation systems, including trains, buses, and trams. This makes renting a car in Switzerland not necessary or even advisable. Ballenberg appears rural if you check a map, but it is easily accessible by train and bus, and this is how I visited without any issue. Simply book a rail journey to the lakeside town of Brienz. Then hop on one of the frequent yellow post buses that connect Brienz train station and Ballenberg.

Plan your visit as a day trip from anywhere in northern or central Switzerland. It is most quickly reached from Bern, Interlaken or Lucerne. Also, choose a clear-weather day as the grounds are expansive and require a good amount of walking in the elements. There are several cafes within the park, where you can quickly and easily order lunch. Benches and picnic tables are also easily found throughout the museum, for resting or snacking purposes.

Learn more on the official Ballenberg website.

Has anyone visited Switzerland’s Ballenberg Open-Air Museum? Leave your impressions in the comments section below!

Fribourg, Switzerland’s Peaceful Sarine River

Switzerland has a lot going for it: centrally located in Europe, compact in size, gorgeous, connected by an infamously reliable train network, and did I mention gorgeous?!

Known best for the massive alpine range, The Alps, covering 65% of its land, Switzerland draws mountain sport enthusiasts from around the world to its many resort towns. This impressive geologic feature has helped the country maintain a long history of tourism, and due to the multi-lingual residents (4 official languages!), it is always easy to connect with locals to ask questions. But what may be lesser-known about Switzerland, is the beauty within its cities and towns.

Of course you probably know of Zurich, Geneva, Lucerne, Basel, and Bern, which are already an impressive number of famous cities for such a small country, but the list gets longer when you think outside the box and consider towns like Lugano, Lausanne, Montrieux and Neuchatel. But for this article, let me make a case for one town that isn’t yet on many must-see lists: Fribourg.

Fribourg City as seen from Hotel Au Sauvage

Full disclosure: I spent a year abroad living in Fribourg, Switzerland, so I am partial. I was lucky to get to know Fribourg and many other Swiss towns, and for reasons unknown, Fribourg does not draw a tourist crowd. For you, this could mean an opportunity to explore a Swiss town not spoiled by crowds, where you’ll have a chance to get closer to local cultures and foods-- with zero lines!

Let me explain my top reasons for proposing you add Fribourg as a stop on your next Swiss adventure:

Central and Accessible

Fribourg is a stop on most express train lines travelling through Switzerland’s plateau, between Geneva and Zurich. This means that if you’re visiting Switzerland and board a train at either major airport, there’s already a train waiting that will bring you to Fribourg in just a few stops. Fribourg is also quite centrally located in the country, just 20 miles from the capital city of Bern.

Preserved Medieval Town

Fribourg is easily accessible, but more importantly, it is one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Switzerland. Situated on a sharp turn in the swift river Sarine, Fribourg was built at this enviable location not to create the gorgeous and compact peninsula town we see today, but because it could be easily defensible. This unique geographic position results in dramatic viewpoints that often include river, bridge, village, and cliff all in a single point of your camera.

Walkability

As you would in any new place, you will want to attempt to walk as much of Fribourg as possible. This way you can stop to admire the historic tavern signs, the hand-forged door bell pulls, decorative shutters, and leaded glass windows. Much of this is precious (and instagramable) detail is in the old lower city, near the river.

If you dare, attempt walking some of the steep wooden and stone stairways shortcuts scattered all over town; the best being Escaliers du Collège, Stalden, and Escalier du Court-Chemin.

Fribourg City Hall as seen from the Escalier du Court-Chemin

The highlights on your visit can be seen all by taking a walking tour that brings you from the train station in the upper town, down toward the old town peninsula. This path will first bring you past the adorable shopping district on the Rue de Lausanne to the imposing gothic Cathedral St-Nicolas (started in 1283). Near the cathedral, be sure to walk down the narrow Rue des Epouses to spot the historic signs overhead. Continue past the cathedral towards the tip of the peninsula. You’ll notice streets become narrow and wonderfully steep.

At the tip of the peninsula, you’ll find two bridges that are huge highlights of the town, the Pont de Berne and the Pont du Milieu, the former a wooden bridge built in 1653 and the later, a stone archway. Both provide dramatic views of both river and town. Keep an eye out for the benches alongside the river, underneath the Pont du Milieu. Don’t be jealous now, but this is where I used to eat lunch in high school!

If you’re less excited about walking all the way back up to the train station after this, you can hop on the Fribourg Funicular, that, for just a few coins, will take you (slowly) back up the walls of the old city to the upper town. Or, if you’re up for more exploration, take the Chemin de Lorette up above the city walls to the adorable Chapelle de la Lorette for fantastic views down upon the town, and to spot some local cows along the path!

Fribourg City as seen from the steps of Chapelle de la Lorette

Villars Chocolate

Everyone knows the Swiss produce quality chocolate, but Fribourg is home to one of the best chocolatiers in the country. The locally produced Villars Maitre Chocolatier has a perfect Fribourg cafe to visit to both learn more about the company, sample chocolate, and buy a few gifts for your loved ones at home.

Swiss French and German Cultures Combine

Fribourg is a canton (a Swiss state) that cuts through the border of the German and French speaking regions of the country. This results in a unique bilingual capital city. While it is a majority French-speaking, tourists can enjoy the convergence of the two languages and cultures. Even the Cathedral represents a mix of both sides, it was begun by German architects in 1283 and finished by French-speaking citizens in 1490.

I found the relationship between the French and German-speaking Fribourgeois to be fascinating, as the high school I attended in Fribourg was split in two sections by language. I recall an epic high school drama between a girl in my French-speaking class falling in love with a German-speaking boy. The cultural and linguistic differences can be such that this situation was presented to me a major issue!

More Affordable than other Swiss Towns

If you’re like most visitors to Switzerland, you’ll feel your wallet groaning as you begin to book hotels and train passes. Consider using a central town like Fribourg as a home base for a few nights instead of Bern, since you’ll find charming hotels in Fribourg at half the cost and it’s only a 20 minute train ride away from the center of Bern, and under an hour from Lausanne or Gruyères Castle!