On this hike, you not only get to enjoy one of the most amazing natural wonders of Switzerland but you also get a beautiful panoramic view that extends as far as the eye can see. 

 

HOW MUCH TIME IT WILL TAKE YOU: 

  • Planning the event won’t take much time since all you have to do is buy the train tickets.
  • The event itself will last between 8 and 10 hours:
  • Train to Noiraigue and back: 2 x 1h45
  • Hike around the Creux du Van: 4h total
  • Lunch break: ~30min
  • (Optional) City Tour or Apéro in Neuchâtel: 2h 

 

WHAT IT IS:

Creux du Van is a natural rocky cirque approximately 1400 metres wide and 150 metres deep, located in the canton of Neuchâtel. This gigantic rock arena offers a beautiful 360° panorama over the nearby lakes, the Alps and the Jura valleys. If you’re lucky you can spot some Ibex or Chamois around the top. 

The hike: 14km long, 780m up. Duration: 4h30. 

It is a relatively easy hike, but you have to be careful if it’s raining/snowing. You will follow the “trail of the 14 contours” to the top, walk all around the edge of the Creux du Van, and walk down the other way back to Noiraigue. Be careful when taking pictures around the edge since most spots don’t have fences.

Optional: When returning to Lausanne in the afternoon, you will have to change trains in Neuchâtel. We recommend you take a couple of hours to stroll around town and visit places such as the Neuchâtel castle, or just have a couple of beers by the lake.


 

HOW TO GET THERE: 

  • Take the IC5 (Direction St. Gallen) from Lausanne. 
  • At Neuchâtel, change to the Regional Train (Direction Buttes) and stop at Noiraigue. If you leave Lausanne at 8:15am, you will get to Noiraigue at 10am where you can start your hike. 
  • You should arrive at the top around 12:00pm, perfect time for a lunch with an amazing view. 
  • You’ll then be back to Noiraigue around 14:30pm where you can take the regional train back to Neuchatel. 
  • From there, you can decide whether you want to directly change back to the IC5 and go back to Lausanne, or have a tour around Neuchâtel before.


 

WHAT YOU NEED:

You will need: 

  • Good hiking shoes
  • Water, lunch, and maybe some snacks. 
  • Solar protection
  • Warm clothes. You never know how the weather might change up in the mountains.
  • A basic first aid kit. The hike isn’t very challenging but you can never be too safe. If you get badly injured, the emergency line in Switzerland is the 112. It works even when there is no network.

 

HOW MUCH IT WILL COST YOU:

You’ll only have to pay for the train tickets for this activity:

  • Lausanne-Noiraigue Roundtrip: CHF 66.00 (CHF 33.00 with half-fare).

 

WHO TO CONTACT FOR MORE INFO:


You can contact Badis on Telegram (@badisnt) or send him an email.