Romont

Romont sits on a long ridge above the Glane with its medieval walls largely complete - a circuit of ramparts and towers that can be walked round, unusual for a Swiss town of this size. The castle, built by Peter of Savoy in the thirteenth century, houses the Vitromusee, the national museum of stained glass and glass painting: it covers the medieval craft, the reverse-painting technique, the nineteenth-century revival and contemporary work, with a collection that includes panels from demolished churches across the country. The collegiate church next to it has its own glass, including twentieth-century windows by Alexandre Cingria and Sergio de Castro. The Cistercian abbey of La Fille-Dieu, founded in 1268, stands just outside the town.

Highlights

• The national stained-glass museum - medieval to contemporary, in the castle.
• Complete medieval ramparts - a walkable circuit round the ridge.
• Twentieth-century church glass - Cingria and de Castro in the collegiate.
• La Fille-Dieu abbey - Cistercian, founded 1268, just outside.

When to go

April to October for the walls; the museum is open all year. Half a day.

Good to know

The museum closes on Mondays and its subject is specialised. Romont is small and quiet. The ridge is a steady pull up from the valley station. Signage is in French.

Nearby

Fribourg is north-east; Gruyeres and Moleson are south.

Key facts