The Jura Mountains
About 14km east of Môtiers, a short walk leads to the enormous abyss known as the Creux du Van (Rocky Hole) – van is a word of Celtic origin meaning 'rock…
Must-see attractions in Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Cathédrale St Nicolas de Fribourg
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Before entering this brooding 13th-century Gothic cathedral, contemplate the main portal with its 15th-century sculptured portrayal of the Last Judgment…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
This collection of Roman ruins – the foundations of former structures, buildings and fortifications just outside Avenches' medieval Old Town – is best…
Musée de l’Horlogerie du Locle
The Jura Mountains
In Le Locle, 8km west of La Chaux-de-Fonds, grand 18th-century rooms filled with all manner of clocks make this museum tick. The manor house, Château des…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Cailler has been making chocolate since 1825, and its entertaining factory tours take visitors on an extravagant twirl through chocolate history, made…
Neuchâtel
This impressive modern museum and adjacent archaeological park, 3km northeast of Neuchâtel on the waterfront in Hauterive, is the largest of its kind in…
The Jura Mountains
About 8km south of La Chaux-de-Fonds, just off Rte N20, Vue-des-Alpes (1283m) is a mountain pass popular for its two 7.3km and 11km mountain-bike loop…
The Jura Mountains
The River Doubs, which forms part of the Swiss–French border, widens out at the peaceful village of Les Brenets, 15km southwest of La Chaux-de-Fonds. It…
Espace Jean Tinguely – Niki de Saint Phalle
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Jump on the button to watch the Retable de l’Abondance Occidentale et du Mercantilisme Totalitaire (1989–90) make its allegorical comment on Western…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
This bewitching turreted castle, home to 19 different counts of Gruyères, who controlled the Sarine Valley from the 11th to 16th centuries, was rebuilt…
Fromagerie d’Alpage de Moléson
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
At this 17th-century fromagerie d'alpage (mountain dairy), 5km southwest of Gruyères in Moléson-sur-Gruyères, cheese is made in summer using old-fashioned…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Learn about the wines of the Bielersee region on a guided tour of this small museum and the delightful 16th-century noble's home in which it is housed. A…
Musée Suisse de la Marionnette
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
In an age where technology is everything, it's refreshing to see that some unique, age-old crafts that have brought joy to children and adults alike…
Neuchâtel
The museum is notable for three clockwork androids made between 1764 and 1774 by watchmaker Jaquet Droz. The Writer can be programmed to dip his pen in an…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Political theorist Jean-Jacques Rousseau said he spent the happiest time of his life on this lovely island in the middle of the Bielersee, actually joined…
The Jura Mountains
Learn all about absinthe (and sample the hard stuff in the bar afterwards) in this chic museum that annotates the history of the potent liqueur (with,…
The Jura Mountains
This smart museum occupying a beautiful baroque mansion surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens and a botanic garden features taxidermy, fossils and…
The Jura Mountains
Everything from books and clocks to pharmaceutical objects are displayed in this delightful museum, well placed in Porrentuy’s former hospital – a…
Mosaïques Romaines d'Orbe-Boscéaz
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
In the town of Orbe, about 15km west of Yverdon-les-Bains you'll find this series of pavilions containing spectacular mosaics on the site of a 3rd-century…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Tropical butterflies flutter alongside hummingbirds and other exotic birds 11km northeast of Murten at Papiliorama. Indigenous butterflies flit about in…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
This imposing fortress lies 5km along the lakefront from Yverdon. Its thick stone walls hide a smattering of small museums – the history museum evokes the…
The Jura Mountains
Contemporary art and installation lovers will enjoy this open-air sculpture park about 12km west of Delémont between the villages of Séprais and Boécourt…
Neuchâtel
The Old Town streets are peppered with 18th-century mansions and decorative fountains. Heading uphill along Rue du Château, walk through the medieval city…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
The 12th-century Old Town was laid out in simple fashion, with Grand-Rue as the main street and parallel Rue des Chanoines and Rue des Bouchers devoted to…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
About 23km southwest of Yverdon-les-Bains, the little village of Romainmôtier is wholly dominated by the Cluny order’s abbey, a remarkable sandstone…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Biel-Bienne's beautiful Old Town huddles around the 'Ring', a plaza whose name harks back to bygone days when community bigwigs sat here in a semicircle…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Murten is a cobblestone three-street town crammed with arcaded houses. A string of hotel-restaurants, culminating in a 13th-century castle (closed to…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Biomechanical art fills this space, dedicated to the man behind the alien in the Alien films – Chur-born, Zürich-based Giger (b 1940). The museum bar…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Fribourg’s art and history museum, with an excellent collection of late Gothic sculpture and painting, is housed in the Renaissance Hôtel Ratzé. Gothic…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Ascend the wooden Aufstieg auf die Ringmauer (rampart stairs) behind the Deutsche Kirche to reach the covered walkway traversing these sturdy 11th-century…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
The 1st-century Roman amphitheatre is as impressive as it is unexpected to find in a small Swiss village. Used throughout the year for occasional outdoor…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Legend has it that in 1476 a messenger sprinted from Murten to Fribourg to relay the joyous news that the Swiss had defeated Charles the Bold…only to drop…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
The five-apse Romanesque Abbatiale de Payerne has been at the heart of religion and culture in the region since the 11th century, and frequently hosts…
Neuchâtel
The interior of the largely Gothic Église Collégiale is a mix of Romanesque elements (notably the triple apse). Facing the main entrance is a statue of…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
The secret behind Gruyère cheese is revealed in Pringy, directly opposite Gruyères train station (1.5km below town). Cheesemaking takes place three to…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
Embark on a voyage of the printed word in this printing and communication museum, housed in a 16th-century granary and with a multimedia show to bring the…
The Jura Mountains
The Château de Porrentruy, with its 44m-tall Tour de Réfous, dominates the little village. The oldest part of the castle complex began its life in the…
Centre International de la Mécanique d'Art
The Jura Mountains
The art of making music boxes is documented in this museum in Sainte-Croix, 13km southwest of Fleurier. Music boxes contain a rotating spiked cylinder…
Basilique de Notre-Dame de Fribourg
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
The highlight of this church is an 18th-century Crèche Napolitaine featuring 75 figurines re-enacting the nativity, annunciation and scenes from daily…
Fribourg, Drei-Seen-Land and The Jura
The Neues Museum features an extensive and fascinating collection of art, history and archaeological exhibits from Biel and beyond. Highlights include a…
