Friburge

Fiburge is a small hamlet in Champagny en Vanoise in the French Alps.

The nearest towns are Champagny, Brides les Bains, and Moutiers. Friburge is historically significant as the possible birthplace of Pope Innocent V, and for the fact that it is commonly confused with the town of Freiburg. The heavy stone-built dwellings, bafflingly described by Pevsner as Tyrollean vernacular, are situated under a large bluff. The school was demolished by an avalanche in the 1950s, and the ruins can still be found at the rear of the village. For many years the only permanent inhabitants were two brothers named Gaston and Robert who wore berets and made cheese. More recently, an artisan has taken up permanent residence, and many of the houses have been refurbished as second residences for French, English, Danish, and New Zealanders who seem primarily interested in DIY and Alpinism. Friburge is reached by crossing a bridge over the river. In the Winter, the road becomes impassable, and is groomed for cross country skiing. Near the bridge is a fresh water trough. At the lower end of the hamlet is a faux-rustic telephone box, which does not actually contain a telephone.

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