Fribourg, Neuchâtel & the Jura

Introducing Fribourg, Neuchâtel & the Jura

A far cry from the staggering Alpine scenes more readily associated with Switzerland, this gentle less-visited corner in the west of the country remains something of a 'secret'. From the evocative medieval cantonal capitals of Fribourg and Neuchâtel to the mysterious green hills and deep dark forests of the Jura, from the land of three lakes to charming villages like Gruyères and St Ursanne, it proffers a wealth of sights and scapes well off the beaten tourist track. Be it listening to frogs singing in lakeside bogs, marvelling at palatial ice creations between pine trees or following the call of the devilish green fairy into the wayward Val de Tavers, travelling here promises a brilliant sensory experience…and that includes for the taste buds. On the food front, there are monks' heads (strong, nutty-flavoured cheese) to be munched, one of Switzerland's best known AOC cheeses to be sampled and sweet feather-light meringues smothered in rich, thick double cream to blow the calorie count on. When it all gets too much, thousands upon thousands of kilometres of waistline-saving walking, cycling and cross-country skiing trails - not to mention sailing, skiing and wake-boarding on lake water - kick in.

This chapter covers (from south to north) the cantons of Fribourg, Neuchâtel and Jura, as well as the northwestern tip of the canton of Bern. The trio of lakes wedged between the Fribourg and Neuchâtel cantons - Lac de Neuchâtel, Lac de Morat and Bieler See - and the Fribourg canton fall mostly within the Plateau Central (Mittelland) plain. French rules everywhere bar the eastward edge of the latter canton where German predominates.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009