"I would never have guessed that Porrentruy was such a pretty town. As I walked from the castle via the schools, the Hôtel-Dieu and parish church, the fountains and the alleyways, I discovered its incredible history. You will not find these treasures by accident - in fact you must seek them out by listening to the guide's tales of the Diocese of Basle, Rudolf of Hapsburg, the citizens and the charter, the Prince-Bishops and the Jesuits, the French and subsequent Bernese periods and the new canton. That was how I gained an insight into the rebellious spirit of the inhabitants of this area and this town, who have seen so much turmoil through the ages but have managed to keep all the traces of their history within their walls."
A delighted tourist
Info
Porrentruy was granted a city charter by Rudolf von Habsburg in the thirteenth century. From then on, the city served as the summer residence and from the beginning of the sixteenth century as the permanent residence of the prince-bishop of Basel. At the end of the sixteenth century, Bishop Jacob Cristoph Blarer von Wartensee rebuilt the palace which had been damaged in a fire and established a highly-respected Jesuit school. Today, these buildings house the canton’s college, the Lycée cantonal. Noteworthy buildings such as the Hôtel de ville, the Hôtel des Halles, the Hôtel-Dieu and the Gléresse Mansion were also constructed in the eighteenth century.
Good to know
Jura Tourisme
Grand'Rue 5
Case postale 67
2900 Porrentruy
T. +41 (0) 32 420 47 72
F. +41 (0) 32 420 47 82
