Région du Lac

Murten is served by train from Fribourg and from Kerzers, a rail junction that opens onto Bern and Neuchâtel. By car, the A1 motorway between Lausanne and Bern runs just south of town, exit Murten, and you are at the lakeshore five minutes later. In season, boats link Neuchâtel to Murten along the Broye canal, a crossing of roughly an hour and a half between reeds and vineyards.

Worth knowing: the old town of Murten is pedestrianised and its car park fills quickly at weekends. The lakeside car park below turns over more easily and puts the beach two minutes away.

The beaches on Lake Murten are grassy, with gradual entries into the water and few stones, which makes early swims simpler. Montilier and Meyriez are free and stay quiet on weekdays, while the Pantschau beach in Murten is the best equipped and is walkable from the old town. The sentry walk along the ramparts involves stairs, but the arcades and the streets of the centre are easy with a pushchair.

The cruise from Murten is the signature outing: an hour on the lake is short enough for the youngest, while older children usually want to carry on to Neuchâtel through the canal. The harbour pedalos are the shorter, self-steered version. The Murten minigolf sits by the water just below the old town, handy in the late afternoon. And the climb up Mont Vully, from Môtier or Praz, takes an easy hour on foot through the vineyards and pays out with a view over the lakes of Murten, Neuchâtel and Biel.