Being a rail fan, I read about the last water-powered funicular in Europe, located in Fribourg, Switzerland. As I read more about Fribourg, it became evident it was a very old and interesting city, so we planned to spend one day there during our two-week trip to Switzerland. As it turns out, we should have stayed several more days, so we hope to plan a return trip.
I wrote to the Fribourg tourist office and they sent lots of excellent info. One great tip was to use the #4 bus and a one-day ticket to tour the old town. It was easy and a wonderful experience. We were able to get on and off at will and there was a bus every 15 minutes (yes, they were almost exactly on time).
We wandered around areas that were built in the 13th century and seemed to be hardly changed since then. We especially enjoyed seeing the old churches that are beautifully maintained and all seemed to be open for us.
The only disappointment was the funicular was shut down for routine maintenance. That's another factor prompting a return visit.
If you are going to Europe and can manage a day or two in Fribourg, it will be well worth a detour.
I have a Fribourg photo gallery here if you would care to look.
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