Hiking to Valangin From Neuchâtel

Yesterday I went for a hike from Neuchâtel to Valangin. This is a 14 kilometre loop that begins with a relatively steep climb out of the city before heading into the woods. You hear the sounds of the road every so often as you crisscross paths with it. The castle was used from the 12th to the 16th centuries by the Valangin lords.

The Way Up

As I mentioned in the intro the start of the climb is quite steep, through the woods. This requires a certain level of fitness to do comfortable. I could hear quite a few rifle shots because i believe a rifle range is nearby. For some reason I thought I could also hear fireworks being tested.

Although we walked the route in September it was still warm. I had 600ml of water expecting that I would find fountains to refill with water but did not find any.

When you arrive to Valangin you arrive from above so you look down at the city and the fort. You then walk by a “difficult path”. It’s not physically difficult but it is exposed. If you slip and fall it could have a serious impact on your well being. It is something to be wary of if you are not used to mountain paths.

The City

The city reminded me of Italian and Spanish towns, but also of Yvoire. With the small narrow houses, and multitude of roofs. It also has buildings from the 1500s and 1600, so it is a village with visibly old buildings.

One building has wooden beams, and the first floor and beyond overhang the ground floor. Wooden beams are visible in the structure. One person saidthat it looks tudor. It’s a reminder that some Swiss villages and towns have preserved the old buildings with character.

The Castle

The castle is open to the public, for 8 CHF per visit. You can pay with cash, or via Twint. The door bell is on the inside of the door frame, not on the facade. The museum is interesting because it’s chaotic. It’s on multiple floors, on multiple levels, and with quite a bit of back and forth so I might not have seen everything there is to see. I had a flashlight with me so I looked up the chimney in the first room and I saw that it still had grease and soot from years of use. The bread oven was also nice and deep. There is a nice range, and some “heaters” with nice tiles in the second room.

If you go to the attic you have a loom, some shoe mending kit and a cachot that is made of wood and looks more like a sauna to my modern eyes. The door lock is interesting though.

If you go up the spiral staircase you see two rooms with children’s toys and more. They also have a wooden stool with a chamber pot in a compartment beneath.

Also of interest is that in this museum they have signs “do not touch” and they trust you not to touch. It’s worth the entry price.

There is a café in the village, for those that want to stop for a drink or meal. We had a snack in the castle grounds.

The Walk Back

When you leave Valangin you have quite a bit of climbing before you get to a bench where you have a view over the Lac De Neuchatel. Unfortunately due to stormy weather visibility was not as good as sometimes.

When you get close to Neuchâtel you walk through a gorge that is visually interesting and you walk under a bridge along a metal path. The gorge is nice but the return into Neuchâtel less so. You’re back to modern, utilitarian buildings. You do eventually get a nice view of the cathedral before walking into the city where there is the sight of créperies and the smell of popcorn from a cinema.

At the time of writing the trip from Nyon to Neuchâtel was 38 CHF by train. The P&R parking is 14 CHF per day if you go with a group by car.

If you would like to try the route here is the Komoot version of the walk I did.