Murist is a clustered village on a ridge between two valleys. Hiking, an educational nature trail and the history of the Tour de la Molière give the village a focus on landscape and culture.

Between Bainoz and Petite Glâne

The village stretches between the Bainoz valley to the northwest and the Petite Glâne valley to the southeast. It lies in the molasse hill country of the northwestern Fribourg Mittelland, at 662 metres above sea level. Murist is about ten kilometres as the crow flies west-southwest of Payerne, in the Fribourg enclave of Estavayer-le-Lac. The wider area belongs to the molasse hill country between Lake Neuchâtel and the middle Broye valley. The Murist plateau occupies the central area and reaches 695 metres at Vursy.

Hiking trails with different focuses

The Sentier nature de la Molière is an educational trail that introduces visitors to the special features of the Murist region. The available parking spaces in front of the municipal administration are recommended as a starting point; information board number 1 is located there. This lets you begin the trail at its first stop.

The Boucle de Franex is an 8-kilometre circular route with a walking time of around two hours. From its elevated section on the Sentier nature de la Molière, the view extends to the Jura mountain range in clear weather. This gives you an idea of the loop’s distance and approximate walking time when planning your hike.

Another option is the Tour de la Molière – L’œil de l’Helvétie hike. Its route goes via Cheyres, Murist, the Tour de la Molière and La Vounaise, before returning to Cheyres. Unlike the Boucle de Franex, this hike centres on the named stops along the route.

The tower and its surroundings

The Tour de la Molière is the only surviving remnant of a large castle and a medieval settlement. Both were built from the late 12th century onwards on a hill near Murist. From the top of the tower, you can see Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Murten and Lake Biel, as well as the Swiss Mittelland all around.

In a forest near Murist and the hamlet of Franex lies the Carrière de grès coquillier de la Molière, a geotope of cantonal importance. The shell sandstone quarry is next to the medieval tower, adding a geological site to the area’s historical and landscape attractions.

Stained glass and an oil painting at Saint-Pierre

Église Saint-Pierre also offers specific works of art to explore: an ornamental geometric stained-glass window was created in 1938. The stained-glass cycle is attributed to the artist Paul Landry and the Chiara studio in Lausanne.

On the wall around the baptismal font is an oil painting completed in 1939. It depicts the baptism of the eunuch by the deacon Philip. Ornamental glass and a figurative depiction of a biblical scene thus sit side by side in different media. Along with the tower and hiking trails, they make up a local programme that distinguishes between landscape, medieval history and church art rather than combining them into a single route.

Discover more destinations: Rueyres-Les-Prés, Vuissens, Delley-Portalban, Montagny Fr, Estavayer-Le-Lac.

Go to the regional travel overview: Broye.