To discover an region
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French speaking Switzerland, also called Suisse Romande,
an ideal destination for your holidays.
Choose an region of Suisse Romande
Romandie : French speaking Switzerland
 What makes Romandie or Suisse Romande so attractive?
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Romandie borders France and Italy in the South/South-West of Switzerland. Romandie includes all the beauties of this part of the world and even more…
The variety of its landscapes, like plains, mountains, lakes and rivers make it a little paradise in the heart of Europe.
French speaking Switzerland has deep lake traditions linked to its « Lac Leman », also called « Lac of Geneva » which is the biggest lake in Western Europe. Also a large Alpine tradition stems from the presence of the highest mountains of the Swiss Alps with more than 30 summits culminating above 4000 metres. Among those we find summits of worldwide reputation like the Cervin (Matterhorn), the Mischabel range, the Mont-Rose or the Dent Blanche.
High-tech means of transportation will take you to incredibly high altitudes. Warm and well equipped resorts, allowing for year around activities, welcome thousands of tourists every year.
You will not only find breathtaking sceneries, but also a quality of life recognised by the large number of travellers visiting every year. Culture, gastronomy, sports, warm and friendly welcoming as well as security make it equally a destination appreciated by business women and men, showbiz and political personalities.
Suisse Romande is recognised worldwide as being the cradle of the Swiss watch industry and the centre of micromechanics. It is also home of multiple international sports federations. Among those the IOC or International Olympic Committee in Lausanne, the UEFA or Union of European Football Association in Nyon. Many headquarters of NGO or Non-Governmental Organization as well as international governmental agencies are located in Geneva. Among these, let’s name the most famous like UN or United Nations, WHO, ILO, WTO, ICRC, IATA. |
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Let your heart speak…and a region of Romandie will be yours
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| To ski or to stroll in the permanent snow in the morning and to swim in the Lake Leman in the afternoon is a must. A green or snow covered nature depending of the season, all types of sports which can be practiced year around; ski areas with easy access for all and the proximity of Lake Leman make it an ideal destination for your holidays.
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| Far away from the excitement of the big cities and tourist resorts, but close to the Alpes after all, it is a region for quite, smooth and ecological holidaying. |
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| A green or snow covered nature depending of the season, all types of sports which can be practiced year around; ski areas with easy access for all and the proximity of Lake Leman make it an ideal destination for your holidays. |
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| Ideal for activities linked to the lake, to the proximity of large cities like Geneva and Lausanne, to the cultural life and of course to shopping in the most famous boutiques. It is one region and four different worlds i.e. city-rural-mountain-lake over two km2 only. |
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| It is the paradise of the mountaineer, with its breathtaking peaks, its scenic valleys, its charming and typical villages, its sports resorts, its chairlifts and other modern and safe means to the top as well as its landscapes. All this makes it one of the world favourite tourists’ destination. |
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| When snow is covering the valleys and the mountains, winter is favourable to long treks on skies or snowshoes. The rest of the year you can explore walking, on bike or on horse. You will discover a well protected nature strolling through small valleys, pastures, woods, lakes and rivers. |
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Canton of Fribourg
The Canton of Fribourg is located in the north-west of the French-speaking Switzerland. The capital of the canton is Fribourg. The name Fribourg is French; Freiburg is the German name for both the canton and the town.
The canton joined the Swiss Confederation in 1481. The area made up of lands acquired by the capital Fribourg.
Geography
The canton is bounded to the west by the Lake Neuchâtel, to the southwest by the canton of Vaud and to the east, by the canton of Bern. The canton lies on the elevated Countryside of Suisse Romande (French-speaking Switzerland). In the west, the lands are flat, but toward the southeast of the canton, the lands rise to a hilly region. This region is called Pre-Alps (Gruyère Region). The highest elevation in the canton is the Vanil Noir with 2'389 meters (7'837.9 ft) and the mythical mountain is the Moléson with 2'002 meters (6'568.25 ft).
The river Saane (Sarine of French) flows from the south (Gruyere-Pays d'Enhaut Region) to the north of the canton. Together with its tributaries, it drains most of the lands in the canton. The river Broye drains the west of the canton and flow northeast into Lake Morat (Murtensee of German). The river Veveyse drains the south and flow into Lake Geneva (Lac Léman in French).
Economics
Agriculture is important in the canton. The main agricultural activities are cattle breeding and dairy farming. Cheese making is established; in particular in the Gruyère Region, home of the cheese with the same name. Other agricultural produces include tobacco (Broye Region), fruit and cereal (Countryside of Suisse Romande) and it is predominant in the north of the canton where the most fertile lands lie.
Industry is concentrated around the capital Fribourg. Other centers of light industry are Bulle, Villars-sur-Glâne, Romont, Düdingen (Guin in French), Murten (Morat in French) and Estavayer-le-Lac (historic city).
Forest is important in the Gruyere Region.
The Sarine Region and Gruyere Region are home to electric power plants used for home use as well as export.
The mountain areas attract tourist all year and the lake regions (Lake Gruyère, Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Morat) areas frequented by tourist - mainly families - in summer and autumn.
Transport
All Fribourg regions are well connected to other areas of Switzerland with motorways A1, A12 and fast rail links. The main railway (CFF in French - SBB in German) between Geneva and Lausanne in the south-west to Bern and Zürich connects Fribourg with other centers of the country.
Demographics
The canton is predominantly Roman Catholic. There are a many of monasteries as well as convents. The canton is situated on the Swiss linguistic frontier. Two thirds of the population speaks French, one third speaks Alemannic dialects of German. The French speaking areas are in the west of the canton, whereas the Alemannic speaking areas are in the east. Fribourg and Morat are bilingual towns.
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Switzerland
