Murten

Murten/Morat
Country Switzerland Canton Fribourg District See 46°55′N 7°07′E / 46.917°N 7.117°E / 46.917; 7.117Coordinates: 46°55′N 7°07′E / 46.917°N 7.117°E / 46.917; 7.117
Population	6,074 (Dec 2009)[1]
- Density	505 /km2 (1,309 /sq mi)
Area	12.05 km2 (4.65 sq mi)[2]
Elevation	453 m (1,486 ft)
Postal code	3280
SFOS number	2275
Surrounded by	Bas-Vully, Büchslen, Courgevaux, Galmiz, Greng, Haut-Vully, Lurtigen, Meyriez, Münchenwiler (BE), Muntelier, Müntschemier (BE), Ried bei Kerzers, Salvenach
Website	www.murten.ch SFSO statistics
Murten/Morat
Map of Murten/Morat

Berntor in Murten

Murten (French: Morat) is a municipality in the See district of the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland.

It is located on the southern shores of Lake Morat. Morat is situated between Bern and Lausanne and is the capital of the Lake District of the canton of Fribourg.

Geography

This small medieval town lies in the Swiss "Midlands" on the edge of the Great Marsh, on a gentle hill (450 metres above sea level) and on the shore of Lake Morat (or Murtensee in German). Numerous attractions from a significant past have been well preserved here, such as the castle, the ring wall, the street scene and the arcades. Lake Morat is a smaller lake located in between Lake Biel and Lake Neuchâtel.

Mount Vully is situated on the western side of the Seeland's largest plain and resembles a pearl gently placed among the three lakes of Morat, Neuchâtel and Biel/Bienne. Already long ago, the Celtic and Helvetic tribes appreciated the region's temperate climate and the local countryside's particular charm. Today, the Vully vineyards take up a large part of the south face of Mount Vully. The over 100 hectares of vineyards are facing towards Lake Morat.

Murten/Morat is also famous in history for the defeat of Charles the Bold by the Swiss. The former fortified city, which has kept most of its ramparts and towers, has picturesque charm.

The first language of 73% of the population is German, of 14% French, and of 3% Italian. Before 1800 the main language of the city was French.

History

The town's name derives from the Celtic word moriduno, meaning "lakeside fortress". It was first mentioned in 515 as a defensive place called "Muratum". By 1013 the site had a reputation as a fortress. Duke Berchtold IV of Zähringen founded the town in 1159 next to the fortress. After his death the German emperor Frederic II recognized Murten as a "Free Imperial Town". At that time the emperor himself lived in the south of Italy and a small town north of the Alps was not his concern. It did not last long – in 1255 Murten fell under the protection of Count Peter of Savoy.

A fire in 1416 led to rebuilding in stone.

On June 22, 1476, Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, laid siege to the place in an action known as the Battle of Murten. The town hung on for 13 days but finally was saved by the Bernese army. The enemy's army was destroyed completely — some 10,000 Burgundians were killed. Since then, Murten celebrates the victory every year on June 22.

From 1484 on, and for 300 years, Morat was ruled by the two cantons — Bern and Fribourg. In 1803 Napoleon gave the town to the canton of Fribourg. Today Morat remains part of the Canton of Fribourg.

Population

Estimated Growth of Population
Year	Inhabitants
1900	2645
1910	2418
1930	2570
1950	3106
1960	3610
1970	4512
1980	4657
1990	4718
2000	5578
2004	5651

World heritage site

It is home to one or more prehistoric pile-dwelling (or stilt house) settlements that are part of the Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[3]

References

1. ^ Swiss Federal Statistical Office, MS Excel document – Bilanz der ständigen Wohnbevölkerung nach Kantonen, Bezirken und Gemeinden (German) accessed 25 August 2010
2. ^ Arealstatistik Standard - Gemeindedaten nach 4 Hauptbereichen
3. ^ UNESCO World Heritage Site - Prehistoric Pile dwellings around the Alps

External links

• Official website (German) (English) (French)
• The panorama of the battle of Murten
• Photo Gallery from Murten