Lake Murten, Natural lake in Fribourg and Vaud, Switzerland

Lake Murten lies at the foot of Mont Vully between the cantons of Fribourg and Vaud. It is 8.2 km long, up to 2.8 km wide and 45 m deep, with a surface of 22.8 km². The Broye supplies 63% of its water, and its outflow, the Broye canal, runs to Lake Neuchâtel. The island La Grande Île lies 40 m off the north shore near Guévaux.

The Battle of Morat took place on 22 June 1476 outside the town of Murten, not on the lake itself; the lake lies below the town and the fighting happened on its shore and in the surrounding fields. The Burgundian army of Charles the Bold, which had tried to take the Swiss Confederacy, was defeated there. Murten was then under Bernese rule, and the battle left its mark on Bern: the foolish virgins at the Bern Minster entrance gate, carved between 1460 and 1480, wear Burgundian dress. A legend later explained the lake's red colouring as the blood of the Burgundians stirred up from the water.

The lake takes its name from the town of Murten on its southern shore; the German Murtensee and French Lac de Morat are both official. A legend recorded in 1840 by Georg Zetter under the pseudonym Friedrich Otte tells that a red discolouration of the water was the blood of the Burgundians churned up after their defeat in 1476. The alga behind it is still called Burgunderblutalge, and the same phenomenon is said to occur on Lake Constance.

The lake can be reached from several points along its shores, where boat rentals and water sports equipment are available for visitors. The main access areas are located in the villages by the water, easily reachable on foot or by car.

A canal links this lake to Lake Neuchâtel, creating a connected water system that has flowed through the region for centuries. This connection allowed merchants and travelers to navigate long stretches of water before modern roads existed.