Walking around the ramparts

Cross the stone bridge, go through the castle’s gate, and you’ll suddenly find yourself in the time of the counts of Romont. Rampart walks and loopholes offer surprising views of the surroundings. Cross the castle’s courtyard and enter the Vitromusée, the Swiss Museum of Stained Glass and Glass art, the world of the magicians of light and colour. The castle houses a one-of-a-kind collection of stained glass and reverse painting on glass that date from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. Now it’s time to follow the knights of the past.

From here, walk on to the Tour à Boyer, the dungeon’s twin. In passing, look at the 16th-century façade of the Café Suisse and the trompe-l’oeil paintings on the houses.

Follow the ramparts to the Tour du Sauvage. From July to mid-September, you can meet an artist or a craftsman inside it. Walk up the stairs of the Massin to reach La Grand-Rue (Main Street). In front of you, there’s the Tour de Billens and the remainder of the rampart walk. At the end of the walk, you reach the Tour de Fribourg, where you can see the exhibition that gives you “A Glance At Romont’s Past”.

Back in the town centre, choose one of the several terraces for a treat or two… or more. Take the stares to visit the Notre-Dame de l’Assomption Collegiate Church. The 13th-century church has stained-glass windows from the 14th, 15th, and 19th centuries as well as more contemporary ones made by Alexandre Cingria, Yoki, and Sergio de Castro. Outside again, on the town hall’s esplanade, take in the bucolic scenery, the Pre-Alps, and, if the weather allows, Mont Blanc.

An invitation to discover the land of stained-glass !