Pouillerel Bike
Overview
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-
Distance 21 km
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Ascent 620 m
Intro
From the watchmaking city of La Chaux-de-Fonds, past the first house built by Le Corbusier, up to Gros Crêt hill. The views ranging from the Alps to the Vosges Mountains are as amazing as the later sights of the Doubs and Lac de Moron from the cliffs.
Description
La Chaux-de-Fonds and adjacent Le Locle are the centre of the Swiss watchmaking industry. The chessboard arrangement of the streets is based on their needs: easy traffic patterns and plenty of light. This is why well-known watchmaking companies are still headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds and the reason why the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Despite its size and industrial magnitude, the environment is thinly populated. In other words, with a mountain bike it takes no time to get out into the countryside. The route leads from the train station to Avenue Léopold-Robert (or “le Pod”). It then turns north, past the animal park and up into the forest. Partially hidden near the forest is Maison Blanche, the first house designed by Le Corbusier and built for his parents in the city of his birth. It was literally a test site for the world-famous architect.
The trail leading out of the city is relatively steep as is the small road to “Chez Capel” and Gros Crêt. The highest point of the tour is also the highest elevation in the Doubs nature park. But it comes with a reward: a 360° panoramic view across the Jura, the Vosges Mountains, Mt. Chasseral, the Alps and Mt. Chasseron. The trail now alternates between meadows and single trails and the well-known “sentier des copeaux” is a veritable gem. Shortly after entering the forest, it is a good idea to park the bike at the crossroad and climb down to the l'Escarpineau viewpoint with a breathtaking view of the Doubs Gorge. And that’s not all: about 2 km later another stop is definitely required at Roches de Moron to look at the Doubs and the curved shape of Lac de Moron below. The deep blue reservoir forms the French border.
The farming village of Les Planchettes on the northern slope of Mt. Pouillerel perches high above the deep valley. A short, paved road follows and a technical, challenging ascent across grass and on trails. It may be a bit slippery here. The last part through the forest and across meadows is peaceful before we take the same way back to the city.
An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted
| Type |
Trip
|
|---|---|
| Start location |
La Chaux-de-Fonds
|
| Destination |
La Chaux-de-Fonds
|
| Direction |
Round trip
|
| Ascent |
620 m
|
| Descent |
620 m
|
| Distance |
21 km
|
| Distance on tarred ways |
9 km
|
| Distance on natural surface |
7 km
|
| Singletrail (part of natural surface) |
5 km
|
| Technical requirements |
Easy
|
| Physical requirements |
Easy
|
| Signalization |
Signalisation in one direction
|
Tourisme neuchâtelois
Hôtel des Postes, Place du Port 2
Hôtel des Postes
2000
Neuchâtel
Quick Facts
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