We are an Australian couple who come to Europe for 5 months each year "buying" a car through Renault Eurodrive so that will be our main method of transport. We have allocated the first 12 days of July 2026 to stay 6 nights each in Luzern and then either Bern or Fribourg. Rick doesn't mention Fribourg, but I believe it's a lovely town with a medieval centre., does anyone know any more about it? Or should we base ourselves in Bern? Bern is handy for trips to Interlaken / Murren etc but Fribourg closer to Gruyeres, Gstaad (Col du Pillon) and Montreux. We will stay in Airbnb type apartments and staying longer allows us to be able to pick the best weataher to visit the mountains.
Posted by
Switzerland
348 posts
Bern and Fribourg are only half an hour apart by car.
I personally think that Bern is a much better choice, both for the city itself and also the location. In my opinion Fribourg is not nearly as nice. I have gone to Fribourg once or twice during my eight years of residing in Switzerland, but Bern I return to again and again!
You will be saving anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes driving time by staying in Fribourg for your trips to to Gruyères, Gstaad (Col du Pillon) and Montreux…for me this is not enough of a time savings to give up the beauty of Bern and it’s proximity to the Jungfrau Region.
As you say, the best way to do day trips is to go where the weather is good and with Bern as a base you can easily do that!
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
2436 posts
I like Freiburg, and was just down there for the Christmas market. (You can read about that here: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/germany/freiburg-christmas-market). But it's very different than Bern. Bern is a bigger city, and well positioned to visit the Swiss lakes. Freiburg is at the base of the Black Forest. The thing is, if you want to drive and see a variety of different places, Freiburg is probably better. You have Strasbourg, Colmar, Mulhouse (with the fantastic auto museum), Bern, Konstanz, Stuttgart (with the Porsche and MBZ museums), and all the places along the base of the Alps, to include Lake Constance, within an hours drive. You could easily spend weeks there and never see everything. Bern will give you the lakes, mountains, forest; all with great scenery. But when I go for that I don't stay in the big cities.
FYI Bern is closer to two hours drive from Freiburg (180+ km). Basel is about 30 minutes from Freiburg.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6395 posts
KGC, it sounds like you are talking about Freiburg im Bresgau (Germany) rather than Fribourg in Switzerland
Posted by
Arctophilia, Northamptonshire, England
36172 posts
two similar names for different places which are chalk and cheese.
We are talking about the Swiss one.
Posted by
OP
2 posts
Thank you Swiss Nomad for advising Bern is the better destination and apologies to KGC, I should have made it clear that I was wanting info on the Swiss Friburgh. Many thanks I appreciate the time taken to help me with my question. Josie Pearson
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
2436 posts
My error.
But I did add Fribourg, Switzerland to my list of places to visit.