This is one of my favorite hikes in Fribourg because it’s well hidden and goes through a forest and along a lake giving me the impression that I am far away from the urban world. These nature trails in the middle of the city make this place so appealing and special to me. Back when we used to live in Bucharest we had weekends to get away from the city and see some nature but it took so much time (spent in traffic) to get there that the trip defeated its purpose.
A forest and a lake in the middle of the city is quite a luxury in our increasingly urbanized world but this type of luxury I indulge in every time I can. The Sentier Guillaume Ritter is a route I often take to walk my dog. Last time I went we saw this tree giving hugs to people, which is an awesome idea.
The trail starts at Guillaume Ritter street (named after the engineer who built the Maigrauge dam in 1872)Â and crosses the Perolles forest, going down to the Maigrauge dam, the first European concrete dam, which supplied the city with drinkable water. It is a well marked trail with plenty of information about the local ecosystem.
Initially, the tunnel was utilitarian, to allow cables to pass from the dam up to the city. Now it is pedestrian and one of the attractions of this trail.
The trail ends with the Maigrauge monastery. See this post for more information. From here you can either walk along the Sarine taking the Promenade de la Maigrauge to the Bains de la Motta or go up to the Planche Supérieure via the Chemin de l’Abbaye.
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