Those considering Tafers as a travel destination can choose between a focus on church and pilgrimage history and a variety of hiking options. St. Martin’s Parish Church and the Chapel of St. James stand directly next to each other; Route 63, “Around Tafers,” begins and ends in the village. The Sensler Museum, Maggenberg Forest and the ruins of Obermaggenberg add their own historical and landscape themes to the selection.
Church and Pilgrimage History
St. Martin’s Parish Church was first mentioned in a document in 1148. Its origins are said to date back to the 9th century, possibly even earlier. The first documented mention and the presumed origins are therefore two different points in time. Extensive restorations and extensions have altered and shaped the church on five occasions.
The Chapel of St. James stands directly next to the parish church, on a medieval Way of St. James. Its early Baroque altar was made by Hans Franz Reyff around 1640. In 1769, local artist Jakob Stoll painted a cycle of eight scenes from the legend of Compostela on the entrance side, along with figures of the Apostles John and James. The altar and paintings bring together two artistic periods while also anchoring the theme of pilgrimage in the chapel.
The Santiago group also focuses on pilgrimage, organising a talk or theatrical performance on the subject every year.
Museum and Local History
The Sensler Museum opened in Tafers in 1975 and is housed in a typical Sensler wooden house dating from 1780. Its exhibits explore the history of life and culture in the region over the centuries. The museum thus focuses on regional development, while the church and chapel offer specific sacred and artistic landmarks in Tafers. For groups of eight or more, the museum offers guided tours and additional appointments by prior arrangement.
Tafers is a political municipality and the main town of the Sense District in the canton of Fribourg. It has been the district capital since 1848; since the 1960s, it has developed into a subregional centre.
Trails and Landscape
For a route that starts and ends in Tafers, Route 63, “Around Tafers,” is a clearly named option. It runs along waterways, through forests and over hills. Another hiking trail between Tafers and St. Antoni follows the Taverna and Weissenbach streams. The two descriptions emphasise different aspects: one is a route that starts and ends in Tafers, while the other is a trail along two waterways between two villages.
Maggenberg Forest has well-maintained trails for walks beneath a leafy canopy. The grotto in the forest can be reached from the hospital via an accessible path. On the hospital side of Maggenberg Forest, the beekeepers’ association of the Sense District has prepared informative displays about the lives and keeping of bees. The walking trails, grotto and bee information each give the forest a different focus.
The Schwarzenburg–Fribourg stage of the ViaJacobi follows the Taverna to Tafers. It is 20 kilometres long, with a stated duration of 5 hours and 20 minutes. The stage can be reached by public transport or by car. This provides a clearly timed option alongside the trails around Tafers. Check current trail conditions before setting off.
The Ruins of Obermaggenberg
The ruins of Obermaggenberg complement the church and museum themes with a castle complex. They lie 890 metres above the Sense in the municipality of Tafers, in the village of Alterswil. They are the only surviving castle complex in the Sense District. Based on the type of castle, its construction is dated to around 1300; this is therefore an approximate date.
The options are easy to distinguish when choosing a focus: the parish church and Chapel of St. James bring together sacred history and art, the Sensler Museum is devoted to the life and culture of the region, and the hiking trails differ in their described routes and landscapes. This allows you to choose what to explore in Tafers based on the subjects that interest you most on your trip.
Discover more destinations: Plasselb, Bösingen, Schwarzsee, Ueberstorf, Schmitten, Wünnewil-Flamatt, Saint Antoni, Plaffeien
Back to the main travel overview: Sense.
