The Old Town streets are peppered with 18th-century mansions and decorative fountains. Heading uphill along Rue du Château, walk through the medieval city gate to the Prison Tower. Scale the tower for views over the town below and its lake and Alpine backdrop. Inside the largely Gothic Église Collégiale, a mix of Romanesque elements (notably the triple apse) looms large.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
26 MILES
Bern’s answer to the Guggenheim, Renzo Piano’s architecturally bold, 150m-long wave-like edifice houses an exhibition space that showcases rotating works…
24.67 MILES
Bern’s flag-bedecked medieval centre has 6km of covered arcades and cellar shops and bars descending from the streets. After a devastating fire in 1405,…
10.74 MILES
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…
Cathédrale St Nicolas de Fribourg
17 MILES
Before entering this brooding 13th-century Gothic cathedral, contemplate the main portal with its 15th-century sculptured portrayal of the Last Judgment…
24.76 MILES
Bern’s most famous Old Town sight, this ornate clock tower once formed part of the city’s western gate (1191–1256). Crowds congregate to watch its…
9.41 MILES
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
9.8 MILES
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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27.95 MILES
Cailler has been making chocolate since 1825, and its entertaining factory tours take visitors on an extravagant twirl through chocolate history, made…
Nearby Neuchâtel attractions
0.03 MILES
This elaborate, ornate fountain features a banner-wielding knight standing atop a pillar with lots of gold-leaf detail. The Fontaine de la Justice is of…
0.05 MILES
One of two fanciful fountains featuring gold-leaf galore that can be found in Neuchâtel's Old Town (the other is the Fontaine du Banneret). It features a…
0.06 MILES
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…
0.13 MILES
Heading uphill along Rue du Château, walk through the medieval city gate to view the Tour des Prisons, Neuchâtel's oldest structure, with foundations that…
0.35 MILES
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…
2.29 MILES
This impressive modern museum and adjacent archaeological park, 3km northeast of Neuchâtel on the waterfront in Hauterive, is the largest of its kind in…
2.76 MILES
Soak up views across the three lakes to the Alps from Mt Chaumont (1160m), a ride on bus 7 from Neuchâtel to La Coudre then a 12-minute funicular ride up…
6.13 MILES
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…