They keep a Willkommen/Bienvenue in the hillsides hereabouts

Grey, overcast skies, a steady drizzle. However, it will take more than this to dampen my spirits as I head to the medieval town of Murten.

They keep a Willkommen/Bienvenue here, as the town straddles the German and French speaking parts of Switzerland, between Berne and Lausanne.

This is a delightful town full of history and clearly well preserved. I walk around part of the easily accessible town ramparts crowned by striking towers, and cast my eyes over rooftops and out across the lake.

I wander along the narrow arcades and pop into the Aebersold bakery, famous for its Nidelkuchen, a unique cream tart. Three generations have been refining its taste, quality and simplicity, and I can personally vouch for the pastry’s extraordinary lightness, yet wholesome taste.

I move on to The Vully, one of the smallest wine regions of Switzerland, where I meet up with Marylene Bovard-Chevet, who opened the Chateau de Praz winery on the banks of Lac de Morat with her husband Louis. They currently produce around 100,000 bottles a year, six white and two red, and have no trouble selling it throughout Switzerland.

After lunch at the Bel-Air restaurant in Vully, where I have a superb main course of fresh perch caught from the lake, I move on to Estavayer-le-Lac, another of the region’s imposing medieval towns. In pure Gothic style, I wander through the arcades of Chenaux Castle and inside the 14th century Collegiate Church of St-Laurent.

I spend a pleasant early evening at Chateau de la Corbiere outside the town. The chateau has gone through various stages of life, from a girl’s school, boarding house for monks, boy’s school and private residence, before being purchased by Philippe and Anne Lise Glardon in 2011.

The couple spent the next two years renovating the property into a stunning hotel/restaurant, with wonderful views of the lake. Some enchanted evening, indeed.

– Michael Cowton

©Essential Journeys/Michael Cowton