Les Verrières lies on the French-Swiss border and combines an unusual village layout with hiking trails, winter activities and the history of the Bourbakis. When planning your trip, it’s worth first deciding whether you want to explore the village and its history or make use of the mountains for hiking and winter sports.
A linear village in the border region
Le Grand-Bourgeau makes up the main part of the municipality. This unusually long, compact village is considered the longest linear village in the region and is notable for its particularly valuable settlement typology. It is therefore not just a single building but the settlement pattern itself that forms part of the village’s distinctive character.
Les Verrières lies at an average altitude of 950 metres; the mountains reach around 1,200 metres. To help you find your bearings: Mont des Verrières is south of the village, while the mountain Les Cernets lies to its north. In the mountains around Les Verrières, there are cross-country skiing opportunities in winter; alpine skiing is possible at the ski lift in the centre.
Crafts and Bourbaki history
Lace-making and watchmaking became important sources of income in the valley in the 18th and 19th centuries. Records show that there were 281 watchmakers in the municipality in 1866. Les Verrières is also associated with smuggling, transport by horse-drawn vehicles and trade, as well as the internment of the Army of the East, known as the Bourbakis.
The “Sur les traces des Bourbaki” circular trail starts and ends in Les Verrières. It illustrates the reception of almost 90,000 survivors of the French Army of the East in the winter of 1871. Another stop in the village’s history is the Bourbaki mini-museum on the first floor of the Hôtel-de-Ville restaurant. It is free to all visitors; check access before your visit. At the Bourbaki Panorama, there is a 360-degree view from the place where Edouard Castres painted his panorama.
Absinthe production is also part of local history: in the heights of Les Verrières, Christiane Rey distils absinthe, drawing on the discreet distilling traditions of Val-de-Travers and the heritage of former clandestine distillers. She carefully selects botanicals and distils early in the morning in a simple workshop.
Hiking: forest, menhir and Jura meadows
The Route de l’Absinthe starts in the centre of Les Verrières and crosses pastureland and forest to reach Les Petits-Cernets at an altitude of 1,189 metres. Check trail conditions before setting out. A circular trail from Les Verrières leads out of the village through a rural landscape into the Grand Bois Noir forest and reaches the Menhir de Combasson about halfway along. Check trail signs and access locally.
The menhir stands near Le Combasson, between Cernets and Chincul. The stone block measures 1.5 × 1.3 × 3 metres and has a hole 12 centimetres in diameter. Another hike leads from La Brévine through Jura meadows, passes Lac des Taillères and then descends gently to the village on the border. The routes differ in their format too: the circular trail returns to Les Verrières, while the hike from La Brévine ends there.
Winter activities and transport
The Centre nordique des Cernets offers 52 kilometres of classic and skating cross-country ski trails. There are also two kilometres of illuminated trails and seven kilometres of marked snowshoeing trails. As activities are seasonal and depend on snow conditions, check conditions for your travel dates. The Les Verrières ski area is accessible by public transport.
The seasonal Bus des neiges service runs between Les Verrières railway station and the Hôtel-Restaurant Les Cernets; check operating details and reservation requirements in advance. The transN 590 bus line connects Couvet, Fleurier and Les Verrières, serves several stops in the village and continues towards Pontarlier. Consult the current timetable when planning your journey.
You can assess Les Verrières as a destination based on the experiences you want to shape your days; plan seasonal activities and connections to suit your travel dates.
Discover more destinations: Couvet, Travers Ne, Fleurier, Boveresse, Saint-Sulpice Ne, Môtiers, La Côte-Aux-Fées, Buttes
For the wider travel overview: Val-De-Travers.
