Au fil du Doubs
Overview
-
-
Distance 19 km
-
Duration 5 h 15 min
-
Ascent 520 m
Intro
Picturesque and rugged ravines that could almost be called fiords open up after Les Brenets. Polished by natural forces, the rock faces have the shape of a human face and the head of a legendary monster. The trail leads to the Saut du Doubs, a spectacular, 27m high waterfall.
Description
In Les Brenets, first referred to as Chez le Bruinet in 1325, the industrialisation began in the 18th century. Precision mechanics, particularly watchmaking, experienced a veritable boom here and in Le Locle and it is still an important industrial branch to this day. The tour starts at the train station of Les Brenets. A paved road leads in the direction of the Restaurant Saut-du-Doubs. Along the way, you can see Lac des Brenets below, which was formed by the Doubs River. Through wild, fjord-like ravines with naturally polished rocks you continue to the Saut du Doubs, a 27 metre waterfall. In the winter, when the Doubs is frozen, this is one of Europe’s largest natural ice rinks.
The torrential river forming the border between France and Switzerland soon turns into Lac de Moron, which is smooth as glass. Follow the path above the lake to the wall of the dam. Once past it, the previously open and expansive landscape changes to a lovely environment, but it drops off steeply. This change in the scenery and the moss-covered trees are typical for the Doubs Nature Park. And so are the mills, which used to be located at various places along the Doubs, at Côte des Moulins Calame, for example. The licenses to operate the mills are dated as far back as 1573. The building was restored after it was destroyed by a fire in 1734. Four mills were in operation at that time, including a sawmill and a forge. The mills are named after Abraham-Louis Calame. His son gave them up in 1832 and the Canton Neuchâtel acquired them in 1842, but from 1880 on, they were left to deteriorate.
After about three hours or so, you reach the Torret electric power station. Years ago you could even find glassworks along the Doubs. They were built there because the wood from the area was utilised, but because of the steepness of the terrain, it could not be transported to the villages. For example, the glassworks of Blancheroche used approximately 100 cubic metres of wood per month. Because the glassmakers continued to relocate as soon as the fuel was used up in a particular area, the Neuchâtel authorities soon prohibited the operation of glassworks on their land. And soon, after walking more than five hours, the fascinating hike ends at Maison Monsieur.
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
| Start location |
Les Brenets
|
|---|---|
| Destination |
Maison Monsieur
|
| Direction |
One way
|
| Altitude (meter above sea level) |
600 m
|
| Ascent |
520 m
|
| Descent |
780 m
|
| Distance |
19 km
|
| Duration |
5 h 15 min
|
| Duration back |
5 h 30 min
|
| Technical requirements |
Easy
|
| Physical requirements |
Difficult
|
| Season |
March - October
|
| Theme |
Through a gorge, Through a nature conservation area, Along Water
|
Quick Facts
Route number
