Murten is located east of Lake Murten, opposite Mont Vully, 14km north of Friborg. The town has a shore nearly 1.8 km long. The location is mentioned in 515 under the name Moritum. Already in Roman times the region was well populated, located on the edge of a north-south communication axis connecting Rome to Germany via the Grand-Saint-Bernard pass, from Aventicum (Avenches) to Solodurum (Solothurn) and Windisch, and their junction towards Augusta Raurica through the Gorges du Taubenloch, and passing through the Col de Pierre Pertuis. A new town was founded in 1170 by Duke Berthold IV of Zähringen. On June 22, 1476 took place the Battle of Murten, which saw the victory of the Swiss Confederates, allies of Louis XI of France, over Charles the Bold.
