Begin of tour: Vallorbe train station
Access starting point: From Yverdon to Vallorbe
Point of arrival: Orbe train station
Hiking time: 5 h
Physical fitness: easy
Difficulty: medium difficulty
Difference in elevation: 350 m
Culmination point: 750 m
Season: all year
Gastronomy: Vallorbe, Les Clées, Orbe
Literature: Hiking mapSAW La Sarraz 1:50,000

Although the Orbe is intensively utilized for obtaining electricity, the predominant impressions are those of the landscape. It's as if a fairy could step out from behind every tree, as in the legend, particularly at «Grottes de Montcherand», also called «Cave aux Fées» or "Fairies Cave".

The river Orbe is dammed up at "Barrage du Day" after Vallorbe. After Les Clées, before "Grottes de Montcherand" (The Grottos of Montcherand), both river banks are once again free for hiking. On the right river bank, with a bit of luck you can observe chamois from a vantage point. The hiking trail on the sunnier left bank is easier to hike, but it sometimes leads away from the river. Both hiking trails converge before the town of Orbe.

Other attraction: The Jura Park (Jurapark) lies halfway between Vallorbe and Vallé de Joux. Clusters of fir trees harmoniously blend into the meadows, where a herd of American bison grazes, and lately a pack of Central European wolves and a family of bears each are housed in a large enclosure.

For families: Magical world of the Orbe Grottos.
The footpath from Vallorbe to the hidden caves far behind in the rocky region where the Orbe originates, leads through a fairy tale world.

The Orbe grottos are open daily from Palm Sunday to All Saints' Day. The temperature in the Grottos is about 10 degrees C. Take a car or public transportation from Yverdon or Lausanne to Vallorbe.