Who is responsible for maintaining the quality of the place?

The old town of Murten is listed in the Federal Inventory of Swiss Heritage Sites of National Importance (ISOS). It has one of the best-preserved town fortifications in the Swiss Confederation and a main street with impressive façades and continuous arcades. In addition, a number of individual buildings of national or regional importance are also listed. Any changes to or in the old town must therefore be discussed and decided on jointly by various authorities.

Does the place have low traffic?

The old town is accessible to motorised traffic travelling in one direction through Hauptgasse, the main street. Parking is available along one side of the arcades. What may seem less than picturesque or even intrusive to tourists is key to the vitality of the town’s historic core. The parking spaces encourage locals to come to the old town to shop or just have a coffee. For pedestrians, the arcades on either side of the street provide a covered promenade.

Does the place demonstrate responsible land use?

The medieval old town is densely built, even denser than the areas that were later built around the historic core. The houses are arranged in rows and extend right to the street. The historical green spaces lie almost exclusively outside the city walls, and trees are also rare within the walls.

Will the place remain attractive in the long term for living, working, leisure and/or tourism?

In the 20th century, new residential and business areas were built around the old town. These have since grown together with the neighbouring communities. Although the old town, perched on a small hill, dominates the region both visually and culturally, most business activity takes place beyond its walls. Nevertheless, it remains an important centre for tourism in the Three Lakes region. Murten experienced a boom in 2002 as one of the five sites for Expo.02, and photographs of French architect Jean Nouvel’s rusting cube in Lake Morat have been widely published.

Does the place bring different people together?

The old town is a meeting place. People stroll through the arcades, which give them access to many different shops and grocery stores. Within the arcades, the tables and chairs of bakeries and restaurants invite people to linger and watch others go past. The tourist office organises events in the colder months, such as an outdoor ice skating rink and a Festival of Lights in January, to ensure the town remains busy in winter.

Is the place in dialogue with the landscape, urban fabric, colours and materials?

The old town, originally built of wood, was destroyed by fire in 1416. The reconstruction, which preserved the building plots, called for stone walls and tiled roofs. Along Hauptgasse, building owners were allowed to enlarge their houses and move the façades forward if they left the ground floor open as a public passage, thus creating the arcades on either side of the main street that still give the town its identity today.

Is the place notable for its distinctiveness?

Murten has a medieval old town with a townscape of national importance that retains the typical rectangular layout of a Zähringer town. The historic town centre is subdivided by three longitudinal axes and three transverse streets. In particular the main street, Hauptgasse, with its arcades on both sides, gives the town a picturesque appearance. Most of the built substance of the buildings dates from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Do people perceive the place as beautiful?

The small Zähringer town above Lake Morat is a popular excursion destination. The medieval town wall, with its imposing chemin de ronde or wall walk, is well preserved and can be visited free of charge. Grand streets lined with baroque patrician houses still convey the dignified atmosphere and magnificent architecture of past centuries. The well-preserved arcades in the main street – similar to those in the towns of Berne or Fribourg – are a feature rarely found in Switzerland.