La Chaux-de-Fonds
The watchmaking capital of Switzerland in the Jura Mountains. Together with Le Locle, it is a World Heritage Site. Its grid-plan watch city, International Watch Museum and early works by Le Corbusier are worth exploring.
La Chaux-de-Fonds lies in the Jura Mountains of the canton of Neuchâtel, at about 1,000 metres above sea level. It is Switzerland's largest watchmaking city. Together with Le Locle, about 8 km to the southwest, it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2009 under the title 'Watchmaking Town Planning'. It is also the birthplace of the architect Le Corbusier. The climate is cool. May to October is suitable for sightseeing and hiking along the Doubs River, while winters are cold and snowy, with cross-country skiing available. Some boat trips and attractions have shortened opening hours.
Sightseeing falls into three areas. The first is the city centre of La Chaux-de-Fonds. Climb the Espacité tower for a view over the grid-plan streets, visit the International Watch Museum and the art museum, and follow the Art Nouveau and Le Corbusier route to see the Maison Blanche, Villa Fallet, Villa Turque and the crematorium. The second is Le Locle, where you can visit the watch museum at Château des Monts, the old town, and the underground mill at Col-des-Roches. The third is Les Brenets in the northwest, on the border, where you can take a boat trip on Lac des Brenets and walk to the Doubs Falls. A branch narrow-gauge train also serves the area.
Getting there: a train from Neuchâtel takes about 30 minutes to La Chaux-de-Fonds, and Le Locle is 10 minutes further. Hotel guests can receive a Neuchâtel tourist card for free use of city buses. Plan to stay 1 to 2 days. Visits to the Le Corbusier buildings usually require advance reservation.
Top sights
- La Chaux-de-Fonds – A World Heritage “watchmaking city” whose grid street plan was designed for watch workshops. It is also the birthplace of the architect Le…
- Underground Mills of Col-des-Roches – A one-of-a-kind rock-cave mill in Europe, where underground river drops powered multi-level waterwheels in the 16th and 17th centuries. Gui…
- Saut du Doubs & Lac des Brenets – The Doubs River forms the border between Switzerland and France. In a gorge near Les Brenets it forms the long, winding Lac des Brenets. Af…
- Maison Blanche (Le Corbusier) – The first freestanding work Le Corbusier designed for his parents in 1912, when he was just 25. It shows the transition from his early styl…
- International Museum of Horology – A top-tier clock and watch museum with some 4,500 items, from sundials and Breguet pocket watches to atomic clocks, presenting the full his…
- Le Locle & Château des Monts Horology Museum – A museum in an 18th-century mansion in Le Locle, a UNESCO World Heritage watchmaking town. It displays automata and precision timepieces, a…
- Le Locle – A watchmaking town that shares UNESCO World Heritage status with La Chaux-de-Fonds. Its parallel streets and workshop houses with large win…
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds – A neoclassical and Art Deco museum completed in 1926, housing Swiss paintings, 'Style sapin' Art Nouveau decoration, and early works by Le…
- Villa Turque (Villa Schwob) – The last work Le Corbusier completed in his hometown, in 1916. Its brick-red facades, flat roof and concrete frame already show the early s…
- Villa Fallet – Le Corbusier's debut work, designed when he was 18, with walls decorated in fir trees, rocks and other Jura natural motifs. It is a leading…
- Crematorium of La Chaux-de-Fonds – An Art Nouveau crematorium completed in 1909. Its hall murals, mosaics and light fixtures were created by 'Style sapin' artists, making it…
- Tour Espacité – A city-center tower completed in 1994. Its rooftop terrace offers 360-degree views over the grid-patterned clock-making city, the most dire…
- Muzoo (Bois du Petit-Château) – A free forest zoo on the north side of town, housing European native animals such as lynx, wolves, otters and deer. It is a popular weekend…
- Farm and Crafts Museum – A museum in a 17th-century Jura mountain farmhouse on the south side of town, showing how mountain farmers made watch parts at home before…
Where to eat
- Brasserie de l'Hôtel-de-Ville – A Parisian-style brasserie next to the town hall, with Art Nouveau interiors, handmade classic French dishes and over 5…
- Ferme des Brandt – A protected 1612 Neuchâtel-style farmhouse serving wood-fired bread, cheese fondue and local meat dishes, all highly pr…
- Buvette Le Maillard – A family-run farmhouse eatery on a hillside west of town, with generous portions at affordable prices. Hot-stone beef…
Itineraries
- Basel, Jura Watch Valley & Bern – A cultural route in Northwest Switzerland: an art capital, World Heritage watchmaking towns, Creux du Van, and the capi…