Out & About in Switzerland: Murten gets breath of fresh air
Traffic is expected to grind to a halt around the Lake of Murten at the beginning of next month. Cars and trucks will be banned on September 3, or "Slow Up" day.
About 25 kilometres of roads will be given over to hikers, cyclists, inline skaters and kickboarders.
The car-free stretch of road begins at the medieval town of Murten and circles the lake, passing below the vineyards on Mont Vully and on to the village of Avenches, with its remains of the Roman town, Aventicum.
Around 20,000 people are expected to take to the roads on the day, and there'll be food stands and entertainment provided along the route.
"Slow Up" day is one of the first of many projects promoting sustainable development ahead of Switzerland's national exhibition, which will take place in the area in 2002.
The organisers of Expo 02 hope to have a regional network of "human powered mobility" trails set up before the exhibition opens.
swissinfo
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