Morat

Morat (in German: Murten ) is a locality and a common Suisse of the Canton of Freiburg, located in the District of the Lake, of which it is the Chef-lieu. Morat is the economic and cultural center north of the canton. Bilingual to dominant German-speaking, it has however the effect of being located on the border germano-French-speaking person.

Geography

Morat (453m) is located at the south-west of the Lac of Morat, opposite the Mont Vully, with 14km in the north of Freiburg. Nowadays Morat and the villages close to Meyriez and Montilier form an agglomeration. Part of the industrial park of Morat is located on the commune of Courgevaux.
The commune has a bank of almost 1,8km length. The territory of the commune extends to south-west on the plates from the Merlachfeld and Fin from Mossard , where the commune of Meyriez is wedged along the lake. To the east, the commune extends to the villages from Burg (518m) and Altavilla (537m), which belong to the commune of Morat since respectively 1975 and 1991, following fusions of these communes with that of Morat. A narrow band (500m broad for 4km length) detached of the remainder of the commune is located in the plain, intensively cultivated, of the Grand marsh between the communes of Galmiz, of the Bas-Vully, Müntschemier and Ried. The other common neighbors of Morat are Meyriez (northern), Greng (western), Courgevaux, Villars-the-Monks (south-western), Salvenach, Lurtigen (south-eastern), Büchslen (is) and Montilier (northern).
In 1997, the territory consisted of 19% of built-up areas, of 27% of forest zones and 54% of agricultural zones.

Population

With 5651 inhabitants (at the end of 2004) Morat belongs to the large communes of the Canton of Freiburg. The population of Morat rose with 2645 inhabitants in 1900. After lowerhaving temporarily dropped, the population increased continuously since then. Greatest demographic growth rates were recorded between 1950 and 1970, like after the development of new zones of housing in the years 1990.
In this commune of the bilingual district located on the linguistic border of the Lake, 76% of the population speaks German, 14% French and 2% Italian (2000). In XVe century, French was still the mainly spoken language, then the percentage of German increased always more, until becoming majority at the end of the XVIIe century. Morat constitutes the bond between the German-speaking Switzerland and the French-speaking Switzerland .
The population is with a little less than 55% catholic and a little less than 35% Protestant woman (2000).

Tourism

The Tourisme is one of the strong points of the city which set up strict payment for constructions and the protection of the inheritance, the old city and the edge of the lake amply preserved their country of origin and overall. The ramparts currently make still almost it tower of the City, which testifies to old the Conflit S in the area.

Demonstrations

the Race Morat-Freiburg, race on foot in October. (Site of the race) .
the “slow fox trot-UP”, national event of which the goal is to justify the population with more physical exercise. One Sunday of May, all the turn of the Lac of Morat (32 km) is interdict with the motor vehicle traffic to make it possible to people to make of it the turn without motor vehicle. Stands of animation on all the circumference of the lake. In 2004,50 ' 000 participants. (Official site of Slow fox trot-UP) .

Transport

On the railway line Payerne - Kerzers (Chiètres) - Lily.
On the railway line Freiburg - Morat - Neuchâtel
Highway A1 Lausanne - Yverdon - Bern, left 29.
Unloading dock for the boats circulating on the lakes Morat, Neuchâtel and Bienne.

History

the city was founded in 1170 by the duke Herzog Berchtold IV of Zärhingen.
on June 22nd 1476 took place the Bataille of Morat, which considering the victory of confederated, combined Louis XI of France, over Charles Bold the.
on January 1st, 1975, the commune of Morat amalgamated with its small neighbor of Burg.
on January 1st, 1991, the commune of Morat amalgamated with its small neighbor of Altavilla.
In 2002, Morat was one of the cities organizing of Expo.02.

External bonds

More photographs on Wikimedia Commons
Official site of the commune of Morat
Site of the Morat-Freiburg race on foot in commemoration of the battle
French-speaking Switzerland Tourism - Morat
the panorama of the battle of Morat

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