Plaffeien is a municipality in the Sense District of the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, and is located in the Sense Oberland. There are several options to consider when planning your visit: a trail along the Sense with a walking time of about one hour, a stage of the Fribourg Pre-Alps Trail towards Schwarzsee, cycling options and a rich village history. The annual Alpabzug, or cattle descent, takes place in September. This lets you choose how to balance nature watching, cycling, historic architecture and a recurring event, depending on your interests.
Hiking between the Sense and the Pre-Alps Trail
The trail along the Sense runs from Guggersbach Bridge to Plaffeien. It is 4 km long and takes about an hour. It passes through an intact floodplain habitat; stones, plants and insects can be observed on the gravel and sand banks. The trail is family-friendly and fairly flat, but not suitable for strollers.
The Fribourg Pre-Alps Trail passes through Plaffeien in the direction of the Sense. The Plaffeien–Schwarzsee stage can be shortened by taking a bus back from regular stops along the route. Check the timetable if you want to include this option in your stage planning. This allows you to decide in advance whether to hike the full route or take a bus back along the way.
Cycling options with different characteristics
The Guggershörnli gravel loop starts and ends in Plaffeien. The BSO Pumptrack is located in the centre. It has a paved riding surface and a surrounding bike trail on natural terrain with various obstacles. The pump track is suitable for children and adults, as well as beginners and professionals.
The BSO course is a 3 km mountain biking route with artificial obstacles: boulders, steps, steep banked turns and wooden bridges. The course is well signposted from Plaffeien parish church. The loop, pump track and course thus offer different ways to cycle: a route that starts and finishes in town, a facility with two types of surface, and a route with a specific length and obstacles.
Village history and the Alpabzug
Plaffeien parish church is the largest neo-Romanesque church in the canton of Fribourg. After the fire of 1906, which almost completely destroyed the village, the church was rebuilt and inaugurated four years later. Plaffeien was first mentioned in records in 1148. Since its foundation, RĂĽeggisberg Abbey had a priory in the Plaffeien area.
The Alpabzug takes place in the village centre every year in September. Up to 1,000 animals arrive over the course of the day. After spending four months grazing in the mountains, the decorated herds return to the lowlands. If you want to plan your trip around this event, check the exact date.
Plaffeien in its regional context
Plaffeien is one of the 28 municipalities in Gantrisch Nature Park. The park’s projects focus on enhancing and protecting nature, as well as promoting social values and the regional economy. In the wider region, the park highlights the natural landscapes of Schwarzsee, the Sense gorges and the Gurnigel region, as well as a variety of sporting opportunities. The broader regional cultural offering includes Rüeggisberg Abbey ruins and the Vreneli Museum in Guggisberg.
Discover more destinations: Schwarzsee-Bad, WĂĽnnewil-Flamatt, Saint Antoni, Oberschrot, St. Ursen, Ueberstorf, Tafers, Schmitten.
Go to the main travel overview: Sense.
