Route: Le tour du lac de Schiffenen

This is a scenic 30-kilometer loop around Lake Schiffenen in Switzerland.

This diverse route is full of sights and can be started anywhere along the loop. In the provided GPX file, it begins on a local hill in the medieval city of Fribourg (Guintzet), passes the historic Grandfey Viaduct and thus the Röstigraben (language border between the French and the German-speaking part of Switzerland), passes along the old Magdalena Hermitage, goes along Lake Schiffenen and over the dam near the Schiffenen campground, then continues on the other side of the lake, passing three châteaus and finally returns to the city of Fribourg.

Please note:

• I took the idea for the route from the local tourism organization and made some minor adaptations. For example, where possible, I chose the way to go along and as close to the lake as possible on well-marked trails instead of paved roads. However, keep in mind that a significant portion of theis still stills on paved ground.
• Also, I added some 2 kilometres to the course for a complete loop.Thist makes for a nice FKT route that can be started anywhere along the loop.
• The pictures are not mine. I took them from the first website listed below.

Here are some links to the route itself and the points of interest along the way:

• Link to the route suggested by the local tourism organization: https://fribourg.ch/fr/fribourg/randonnees-pedestres/le-tour-du-lac-de-schiffenen/ (French)
• Grandfey Viaduct: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandfey_Viaduct (English)
• Magdalena Hermitage: https://fribourg.ch/en/fribourg/architecture-and-monuments/madeleine-hermitage/ (English)
• Schiffenen Campground: https://camping-schiffenen.ch/ (German)
• Château de Grand Vivy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand-Vivy_Castle (English)
• Château de Petit Vivy: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Petit-Vivy (German)
• Château de Barberêche: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schloss_Barber%C3%AAche (German)