12 Best Sights in Fribourg, Fribourg and Neuchâtel

Fribourg's grand cathedral rears up from the surrounding gray, 18th-century buildings. Its massive tower was completed in the 15th century, two centuries after construction began in 1283. Above the main portal, a beautifully restored tympanum of the Last Judgment shows the blessed few headed toward Peter, who holds the key to the heavenly gates; those not so fortunate are led by pig-faced demons into the cauldrons of hell. Inside you can see the famous 18th-century organ, as well as the restored 1657 organ. The exceptional stained-glass windows, installed between 1873 and 1983, are executed in a number of styles, including Pre-Raphaelite and art nouveau. In the Chapelle du St-Sépulcre (Chapel of the Holy Sepulchre), a group of 13 figures dating from 1433 portrays the entombment of Christ. If you can handle the 368 steps, climb to the tower for a panoramic view. During services, entry is not allowed.

At Fribourg's very core is the Basse-Ville, tucked into a crook of the river. Here you'll find the 11th- through 16th-century homes of the original village, as well as a lively café and cellar-theater scene.

This imposing 13th-century church is attached to a Franciscan friary. Its pale walls and the rose-, gray-, and alabaster-colored ceiling contrast with the Gothic darkness of the interior. A 16th-century polyptych by an anonymous Nelkenmeister, or Maître à l'Oeillet (one of a group of painters who signed their works only with red and white carnations), hangs over the high altar. A carved-wood triptych, believed to be Alsatian, and a 15th-century retable of the temptation of St. Anthony painted by the Fribourg artist Hans Fries decorate the side walls. At the entrance to the cloister leading to the friary is a 13th-century five-panel fresco depicting the birth of the Virgin Mary.

Once the city's tram terminal, this is one of the premier modern-art spaces in Switzerland. It houses a selection of whirring, tapping, spinning metal sculptures by Jean Tinguely and a wall full of the voluptuous, colorful work of his wife, Niki de Saint Phalle. After working in the Dadaist movement, Tinguely (1925–91) made headlines as a pioneer of the "kinetic art" movement. Kids (16 and under free) are often fascinated by Tinguely's work, which is full of fantastical elements: skis are walking, a potted plant is turning, and a toy rabbit is being hit on the head.

The Hôtel de Ville (Rathaus in German) is the seat of the cantonal parliament, built on the foundations of the château of Berthold IV of Zähringen, who founded the town of Fribourg in 1157. The symmetrical stairways were added in the 17th century, as were the clockworks in the 16th-century clock tower. A vibrant produce market sets up on the square in front of the Town Hall on Saturday morning.

On the way from Fribourg to Gruyères, chocoholics should consider stopping at this tantalizing chocolate factory in the otherwise unassuming town of Broc. A name in Swiss chocolate since 1819, Cailler offers a 90-minute tour complete with chocolate tasting.

This important museum is housed in the Renaissance Ratzé Mansion and, incongruously, an old slaughterhouse connected to the mansion proper by an underground passage. The mansion displays 12th- to 19th-century art, including several works by Hans Fries. The 19th-century slaughterhouse, a stark stone structure modernized with steel-and-glass blocks, provides the setting for a provocative mix of sacred sculptures and the kinetic, scrap-iron whimsies of native son Jean Tinguely. The attic gallery displays 19th- and 20th-century paintings from Swiss artists, as well as from Delacroix, Courbet, and others. Take a breather in the quiet sculpture garden overlooking the river. Limited descriptive material in English is available upon request, and guided tours in English can be booked in advance.

Examples of almost every sewing machine ever built (more than 250) are on exhibit here. There's also a collection of contraptions created to ease the life of handworkers and housewives before the age of electricity, including useful household firsts such as vacuum cleaners and washing machines. A side room is packed with curiosities from bygone days, such as chestnut-hulling boots. Second-generation owner and half-American Marc Wassmer charms with anecdotes and history—ask the accomplished bass to sing a few bars—he alone is worth the visit.

When the Pont de St-Jean was built in the 17th century, making the northern bank of the river readily accessible, the merchant houses and walled cloisters of the Neuveville popped up.

As Fribourg expanded from the Basse-Ville, it crossed the river over the Pont du Milieu (Middle Bridge) to a narrow bank, the Planche-Inférieure, where picturesque, terraced houses abound. As the town prospered, it spread to the statelier 16th- and 17th-century Planche-Superiéure, a large, sloping, open triangular place (square) that was once the busy livestock market. It is now lined with several upscale restaurants and cafés. From here you can walk up to the Chapelle de Lorette (Loreto Chapel), once a favored pilgrimage site, for the best view of Fribourg.

In this city of bridges, the Pont de Berne is the oldest. Set to the north of the Basse-Ville, it is made entirely of wood and was once the only access to the city.

From St. Nicholas Cathedral, slip through the Rue des Épouses to the Grand-Rue, lined with 18th-century patrician homes. Near the end of this street is the historic and now pedestrianized Zähringen Bridge, with views over the Pont de Berne, the Pont de Gottéron, and the wooden remains of the ancient towers that once guarded the entrance to the city. You're now in the area where Duke Berthold IV first established his residence and founded the city in 1157.