Morat elected “Swiss village” of the year 2024 – rts.ch

It is in particular the architecture of Morat, so typical and highlighted by all the guides, which allowed it to be the favourite against the five other finalists – Stein am Rhein (SH), Werdenberg (SG), Giornico (TI), Bursins (VD) and Silvaplana (GR) – in the running to win this distinction in 2024.

In 2022, the character of the medieval town had already earned it honors from the World Tourism Organization.

More local, this new distinction is appreciated for another reason: it reaches the heart of the tourism target in the region. “Around 80% of tourists come from Switzerland and the rest from abroad,” says Déborah Defalque, marketing director of Morat Tourisme.

For all tastes

“Our goal is to have year-round tourism” and to be able to offer activities or events “every day in the old town” for the local population, she continues.

Every autumn for the past four years, a Lucerne agency has organised a trip to Murten for “urban sketchers”, tourists who, instead of a photo, prefer drawing to illustrate the places they visit.

Morat overlooks the lake of the same name and is ideally located in the heart of the Three Lakes region, between Bern and Lausanne.

Its geographical location and its architectural heritage make Morat beautiful. But its charm comes from elsewhere.

Maintaining the balance between residents and tourists

For Petra Schlüchter, the village mayor, its charm comes from its inhabitants. “The ramparts, the lake, they’re beautiful. But all these elements are lifeless. It’s the people, the population, who make Morat vibrate and who give it this radiance that makes it so special,” she says.

The priority today is therefore to maintain this balance. To allow its inhabitants to feel good there while others visit their city.

TV topic: Nicolas Beer

Adaptation web: juma