Here, history begins with documents from 515, when the Kingdom of Burgundy took an interest in this region known as Moritum since Roman times. From that point, the history is somewhat obscure, except that the Burgundians remained in control for a long time. King Rudolph III of Burgundy had his court in Murten in 1013. There was then a struggle for his succession, and Emperor Conrad II of the Holy Roman Empire reconquered the land, and Murten was destroyed. In 1079, Emperor Henry IV gave Murten, along with other estates, to the Bishop of Lausanne. The new town was refounded around 1170 by Duke Berthold IV of Zähringen, a family associated with the Habsburgs, part of the House of Austria, a significant provider of kings and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. Murten then allied itself with Freiburg and later with Bern. In 1255, it came under the protection of Count Peter II of Savoy. When Philip I of Savoy refused to give it up, Rudolph I of Habsburg, who considered it part of the Empire, took it by force. After Rudolph’s death, Amadeus V of Savoy recaptured it in 1291, but returned it to Albert I of Habsburg. In 1310, it was pledged to Savoy. During this period, Murten was essentially an ongoing back-and-forth between Savoy and the Holy Roman Empire, with occasional alignments with the Swiss Confederates. In 1377, Count Amadeus of Savoy confirmed the town’s charters granted by Berchthold of Zähringen. In 1416, the town was burned and rebuilt.
Then we come to 1475, during the so-called Burgundian Wars, where Charles the Bold lost his possessions at Grandson, his courage at Murten, and his life at Nancy. The triumph of the Swiss Confederates at Murten is prominently featured in Swiss history. Far from the golden legend, Murten was the site of a true carnage. On that day, the Swiss forces massacred nearly 12,000 Burgundians to the last man, who, completely surrounded, had no chance of escape. But to understand the event, we must first sketch a portrait of Charles the Bold. From his father, Philip the Good, he inherited a powerful but fragmented duchy that included the Netherlands, Flanders, Artois, Burgundy, and Franche-Comté. At this time, Switzerland in the western part did not yet exist. Highly ambitious, Charles was determined to unite these disparate territories into a single bloc. To achieve this, he could count on solid allies, including the King of England, the Dukes of Milan and Savoy, and his powerful army. But this ambition threatened the interests of the King of France. Yet Louis XI was not the only one concerned. Bern also viewed the Burgundian neighbor’s plans with suspicion, as they compromised the Republic’s ambitions both north and south. Between the Confederates and the Duke, it was bound to be a fight to the death, a struggle for existence. The conflict became inevitable following a revolt by a few Alsatian towns, which contested the Duke’s authority and called on their allies for help.
In 1474, the Swiss, bound by a peace agreement with Sigismund of Habsburg, campaigned in Franche-Comté. All Jura Mountain passes were occupied, and 16 towns and 43 castles were captured or set ablaze. On their way back, the Bernese, Fribourgers, and Solothurners marched on the Pays de Vaud, a possession of Savoy and ally of Charles the Bold. Sixteen towns and 43 castles, including Murten and Grandson, were taken or set on fire during these operations of unusual brutality, marked by rapes, looting, and raids that immediately set the tone for the Burgundian Wars. The response was swift. In 1476, Charles the Bold, leading an army of 20,000 men, entered the Pays de Vaud and captured Grandson. The castle garrison, despite having surrendered, was executed in its entirety. Four hundred and twelve Bernese were drowned or hanged. From that point on, the Confederates sought no mercy. The Burgundian had to pay.
Following the massacre of the Swiss garrison at Grandson, an alliance of cantons marched towards the castle for revenge. A battle ensued at Concise, and the Swiss coalition emerged victorious. Yet Charles’s army, primarily composed of Lombards, was very well equipped for the time, with modern cavalry and artillery. The Swiss, on the other hand, relied on soldiers armed with 5-meter-long pikes and halberds, advancing towards the enemy like a hedgehog, particularly effective against cavalry charges.
To take his revenge, the Duke of Burgundy undertook a direct attack on the city of Bern after reorganizing in Lausanne. On his way, he laid siege to Murten, surrounded by fortifications. The town was defended by 1,500 men from Bern and Freiburg, as Murten had, in the meantime, sworn loyalty to these cities. At that time, Murten was not yet part of the Confederation. The Duke of Burgundy commanded a diverse army of about 20,000 men from Holland, England, and Lombardy, supported by the Savoyard army. Despite being significantly outnumbered, the town of Murten suffered heavy damage but managed to hold out, only saved by reinforcements from the Swiss cantons (24,000 men) who flanked the enemy positions. It resulted in a total massacre of the Burgundians. Not a single prisoner was taken. The Duke of Burgundy managed to escape despite the defeat.
In 1477, the fifth battle of the Burgundian Wars took place in Nancy, where the Duke of Burgundy aimed to crush the rebellious town to ensure continuity in his territory, which was then split in two. The town was notably reinforced by soldiers from the Swiss Confederation. The Duke of Burgundy died during this battle, which was lost due to further strategic mistakes. Apparently, Charles the Bold was not a great military strategist.
After these events, which ended the Duchy of Burgundy, the Swiss Confederation was seen as a European power. Everywhere, the Swiss were feared and sought after for their military skills. The enormous loot they accumulated also helped fill the coffers of the cantons, but it also deepened their divisions. Unable to agree and jealous of Bern’s growing power, the victors did not make the most of their triumph. They abandoned the Pays de Vaud, which they had held securely, and gave up Franche-Comté, handing Burgundy over to France. In the end, the only territorial gains for the Swiss were the entry of Freiburg and Solothurn into the Confederation. As for Murten, it remained under the authority of the cantons of Bern and Freiburg for 300 years. In 1798, the French arrived. Then, in 1803, Napoleon definitively assigned Murten to the canton of Freiburg.
When you visit Murten, remember all this history. Here is an illustration of the plan of the fortified city.
When you enter the city from the east, you cross through the Bern Gate (no. 03 on the plan). The first mention of the Bern Gate dates back to the 13th century. During the Battle of Murten, it was completely destroyed and had to be renovated multiple times. The current Bern Gate dates from the second half of the 18th century. It is the work of the Bernese master Niklaus Hebler, who also renovated the famous Zytglogge in Bern. Inside, there is a clockwork mechanism dating from the early 18th century, and every day the three stone weights are wound using the cannonballs from the Battle of Murten.
The old town is not very large. From the Bern Gate, you enter via Hauptgasse (Main Street). The street is open to vehicles passing through the city. A pity! Here, tourists flock, especially under the arcades along the central street. Small alleys branch off from it, leading to the ramparts.
Let’s head to the right towards the French Church (no. 01 on the plan). This is the French Reformed Church of Murten. Originally, it was the old St. Catherine’s Chapel, founded in the 13th century. This place was later transformed and dedicated to the French Reformed faith in 1710. The church was altered in the 18th century and restored in 1970. The church bears a commemorative plaque for the Reformer Guillaume Farel (1530). The building is in the late Gothic style. Until 1476, this St. Catherine’s Chapel was located near the current train station. It was destroyed during the Battle of Murten and was later rebuilt here.
Near the church, there is an esplanade offering a beautiful view of the port, the lake, and Mont Vully across the way.
From the church, you can follow Rathausgasse, the second main street of the town. There are fewer tourists here, as there are fewer shops and sunny terraces. However, the houses are remarkable, clustered around the Rathaus (Town Hall).
At the end of the street stands the castle, with its austere appearance and windows marked by the colors of the canton of Freiburg (no. 13 on the plan).
Count Pierre II of Savoy had the castle built in 1255. The Savoyards improved the defenses and ramparts of the castle. It was partially damaged by a fire in 1414 and was renovated in the following years. In 1476, the castle was the scene of the Battle of Murten. It bore the brunt of the damage: six towers were severely damaged, and parts of the ramparts were destroyed by the Burgundian cannons. The large four-sided tower that remains today was the keep. The castle then remained the administrative seat for the Bernese and Fribourg bailiffs. Later, it became a hospital, barracks, and prison. Today, it houses the prefecture of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg. Every August and September, the Murten Classics are held in the castle courtyard.
Today, the keep is open to the public from June to October. You can visit the prisons, while the jackdaws, which have been part of castle life since the 1930s, continue to live there. .
On your way back from the castle, you will have beautiful views of Hauptgasse.
But from here comes the highlight of the tour: the ramparts (no. 14 on the plan). You will take magical alleys through old Murten to access them. The route is marked, and you won’t get lost, as old Murten is quite small.
Soon, you will find yourself at the entrance to the walls.
You access the ramparts by stairs.
From here, you can head either towards the castle or in the other direction towards the Bern Gate.
Below, you have a bird’s-eye view of the old houses of old Murten.
According to city archives, King Conrad IV asked the townspeople to build a 12-foot-high wall around the city. The king promised to exempt the citizens from paying taxes for four years if they built the wall. The lower part was constructed from cobblestones laid in a herringbone pattern and bound with mortar. About a century later, the middle part was built using recovered stones. The upper part, built with sandstone, was added before the Burgundian attack in 1476.
When you look through the arrow slits, you can see that there is still a wall outside the ramparts. You can also see the Catholic church outside the walls.
The ramparts were built with different materials, such as gravel, tuff, and sandstone. You can also climb above the promenade onto the turrets.
Whether you go towards the castle or the Bern Gate, the views of the guard towers or the various bell towers of the city are stunning.
The stairs descend from the ramparts near the German Church, close to the Bern Gate (no. 9 on the plan). .
Due to its history, more closely linked to the canton of Bern than to Fribourg, Murten remains a town where Protestantism is still the majority, despite being in a Catholic canton. The German Church is a simple temple, as Protestant churches often are. The Gothic choir is part of the fortification tower and dates from the late 17th century, built on the site of an old chapel dedicated to St. Mary. The reconstruction in 1710 is in the Baroque style. The old chapel was preserved in the location of the choir.
You then leave the Deutsche Kirchgasse to return to the Bern Gate and exit the fortified town.
