Murten Crowned Switzerland’s Most Picturesque Village for 2024!

Murten, also called Morat, is in the Canton of Fribourg. For 2024, it has been chosen as the most beautiful village in Switzerland. This is from an award by Schweizer Illustrierte, l’Illustré, and Domenica Ticinoise. Even though Switzerland has many lovely villages, Murten stands out for its rich history, special buildings, and nice location.

Why Murten is Special

Murten won over other beautiful places like Stein am Rhein, Giornico, Bursins, Silvaplana, and Wedenberg. A group of six experts made a list of finalists, and then readers voted for their favorite. People praised Murten for its old town, city walls, and being the only bilingual village on the list. The mayor, Petra Schlüchter, said they are very happy about the award and that the village’s beauty comes from its location, buildings, and the people who live there.

A History of Praise

Murten has been praised before. In 2022, it was one of two Swiss villages recognized for tourism by the United Nations World Tourism Organization.

Exploring the History of Murten / Mora

Murten is by Lake Murten. It started as a fortified town in the 6th century. The Zähringen family made it a city in the 12th century. Today, it does not officially have city status because the population is too small. In 1416, a fire made the people rebuild the town and its walls in stone. Visitors can see these buildings today.

The town is famous for the Battle of Murten on June 22, 1476. Swiss forces defeated a Burgundian army, with many Burgundian soldiers killed and only a few Swiss losses.

Today, Murten has old city walls, towers, and charming streets. It also hosts an annual music festival with a light show that highlights its famous buildings.