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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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The Jura Mountains
This smart museum occupying a beautiful baroque mansion surrounded by meticulously manicured gardens and a botanic garden features taxidermy, fossils and…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
