Creux du Van: Round trip in the Val de Travers

Technical information

Starting point:	Noiraigue
Destination:	Noiraigue
Getting to the starting point:	Train to Noiraigue
Getting to the destination:	Train from Noiraigue
Technique:	medium
Physical fitness:	difficult
Length:	14 km
Hiking time:	4h20
Season:	May till October

Description

One has to climb exactly 725 metres to find yourself standing in the middle of an arena of superlatives. This natural amphitheatre has a diameter of one kilometre and is the result of constant erosion by water and ice. It is a paradise for mountain goats, marmots, deer, birds of prey and nature lovers.

The trail runs along the edge of the "arena", constantly making you feel as if you are in the front row. And right at the bottom of the basin a spring merrily gushes. This is the "fontaine froide", where the water is four degrees above freezing the whole year round.

The second major attraction of the valley, which stretches from Lake Neuchâtel crosswise through the Jura to the French border, is its asphalt mines. Between 1711 and 1986 a tunnel system of 100 kilometres was established here. Streets in Paris, London and New York were paved with asphalt from Travers. Today one kilometre of disused mines is open to visitors, who are served the speciality of ham cooked in asphalt.

If you need to digest everything first, this is best done with a "green fairy" - the Val de Travers is in fact the birthplace of absinthe, the secret star of the valley.

Tour Overview

3D hiking map Download GPX coordinates Download KMZ (GoogleEarth)

Profile

The careful planning of a tour will ensure that you also derive the maximum pleasure and enjoyment from it. Please take the time to contact the local information centre and enquire about route and weather conditions before setting off. Your intended trail may be fully or partially closed, depending on the time of year and weather conditions.