One of the fascinating things about Switzerland is that, although it is not a completely unknown country to me, it can still surprise me every day. Every now and then I come across cities that can’t be found in the average Swiss guidebook. Neuchâtel, the destination of my next one-day trip, is one of them. Neuchâtel, a small town of only thirty-three thousand inhabitants, is located in the middle of the country. I’d be lying if I said that I chose this city by sheer coincidence. It is an important place for our family, as it is where my husband went to university. That’s why we used to come here quite often, even at the beginning of our relationship, when I was just a tourist in the country. Then, over time, I got into the habit of showing my friends around Neuchâtel when they came to visit me in Switzerland. In the following blog post, I have collected the 5 most exciting attractions in Neuchâtel based on all of my past trips.
- Lake Neuchâtel
- Three Lakes Cruise
- The medieval old town of Neuchâtel
- Place du Marché aka the marketplace
- The church aka La Collégiale de Neuchâtel
+1 Other sights to see around Neuchâtel
Interesting facts about Neuchâtel
Before we dive into the many interesting sights and attractions of Neuchâtel, let’s see a few lesser-known facts about the town. Just simply click on the triangle if you’re interested in more details.
Bilingual City:
Neuchâtel is located in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, but it is officially bilingual. Both French and German are recognized as the city’s official languages.
Watchmaking Heritage
Neuchâtel has a rich history in watchmaking and is often referred to as the “birthplace of Swiss watchmaking.” The city has been a hub for watchmaking craftsmanship for centuries and the region is still home to prestigious watchmaking companies, like Girard-Perregaux or Zenith.
First public clock
The town is home to the world’s first public clock, known as the “Neuchâtel Astronomical Clock.” Built in 1855, this impressive clock, not only tells the time but also displays astronomical information, including the positions of celestial bodies and the phases of the moon.
Switzerland’s Oldest Botanical Garden
Neuchâtel is home to the Jardin botanique de Neuchâtel, Switzerland’s oldest botanical garden, founded in 1859. It features a diverse collection of plants and is open to the public, providing a peaceful oasis in the heart of the city.
Literary Legacy, Jean-Jacques Rousseau
The philosopher and writer Jean-Jacques Rousseau spent a significant part of his life in the city and wrote some of his famous works here. You can even visit St, Peter’s Island in Lake Biel (about 20 minutes by car), where he lived and worked from 1765.
Short history of Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel, or Neuenburg in German, is the capital of the canton of Neuchâtel and lies on the shores of the lake of the same name. The name of the city simply means “new castle” in both languages. It is about 1 hour from Bern and Lausanne and 1.5 hours from Geneva. Neuchâtel is the 11th largest city in the country with 78,000 inhabitants, including the agglomeration. (I’m still sometimes surprised at the size of what locals consider to be big towns or cities :D).
The French-speaking town existed as early as the 11th century and, like many small Swiss towns, has preserved its medieval townscape from the early 12th century. The foundations of the castle and church, which still stand today, were laid by the town’s namesake, Ulrich II of Neuchâtel and his wife. I won’t go into detail about the history of the city, because Neuchâtel’s story is pretty much typical of Switzerland: free city, Reformation, and finally urbanisation in the 18th and 19th centuries.
1. Lake Neuchâtel
If you’re arriving in the city by train, I recommend that you head for the lakeside first. This way you can walk through the less busy part of Neuchâtel. If you’re arriving by car, there are several places to park – click here for a list of options. The lakeside is a must-see attraction in Neuchâtel, especially if you want to take photos on the piers in front of a fabulous background.
Lake Neuchâtel is the largest lake in Switzerland (Lake Geneva stretches into France, so it cannot be called the largest lake in Switzerland). Personally, it is my favourite of all the lakes in Switzerland’s major cities. Don’t get me wrong, I’m also impressed by Lake Lucerne, Lake Geneva and Lake Zurich, but I’ve never been as impressed by any of them as I was by Lake Neuchâtel. On a clear day, you could see all the way to the Alps! So it’s no wonder that in spring and summer, the shore is full of people relaxing in the shade of the trees, having a picnic or a barbecue. You can also swim in the lake, I found a great summary of the best beaches in the area on the travelstory blog.
You’ll certainly notice the many photographs, sculptures and information panels from the Belle Époque as you stroll along the promenade. This is because Neuchâtel flourished at the turn of the 20th century. The lakeside features information materials, sculptures, and themed sightseeing tours that commemorate this specific period.
2. Three lakes cruises
The Three Lakes region covers the lakes of Biel, Murten and Neuchâtel, all of which can be entirely crossed through small canals. The area around the lakes is rich in vineyards, so it is worth visiting the region not only in summer or spring but also in autumn. There are several types of cruises on all three lakes. We chose an hour-and-a-half round trip by boat from Neuchâtel so that we had enough time to walk around the old town afterward. However, we were not properly prepared, we didn’t have our swimsuits, so we couldn’t swim, even though our boat docked at several places where we could have swum… To avoid you making the same mistake, here is the list of beaches around lake Neuchâtel again.
Boat lovers can also choose from tours of up to four hours or more, covering all three Jura lakes, plus, there are also steamships from Biel/Bienne and Murten. Ticket prices vary depending on the length of the tour. Shorter trips are available from as little as 5 Swiss francs, but longer trips are obviously more expensive, especially if you opt for something more eventful, such as cruises with breakfast or cocktails at sunset. The Halbtax card (half-price discount card) and the GA (annual pass) are valid on all cruises, so you can travel at a discount or even for free.
3. The medieval old town
After the cruise, we headed – as we always do from the lakeshore – towards the old town, because it’s full of super restaurants and bars. Although it’s a very small area, I can spend hours wandering around the cobblestone streets. There’s just so much to see in the centre of Neuchâtel… There are so many little details in every shop window, on the coats of arms above the doors, on the buildings. I always discover something new. Not to mention that I found a really good antiquarian bookshop where, despite being in the French part of the country, they sell books in German and occasionally in English.
The old town of Neuchâtel, like many other Swiss towns, has lots of well-preserved medieval buildings. The city holds the distinction of being a World Heritage Site and celebrated its 1000th anniversary in 2011. It is worth wandering around the old town without a particular destination in mind, as it isn’t a very large area and it’s almost impossible to get lost. Don’t forget to have a look at the coats of arms above the shop doors while you’re there. These usually reflect the characteristics and activities of the guild – or nowadays the shop – but often also the historical and cultural background of the town. I think it’s a great game to guess what they refer to.
4. Place du Marché aka the marketplace
After a nice walk, there’s nothing better than relaxing on the terrace of one of the cafés. My favourite place is the Place du Marché, as there are many restaurants and cafés there and you can usually get a table for 2-3 people without a reservation. The square is surrounded by beautifully preserved medieval buildings, which makes it really charming and unique. If you want a quick bite, I recommend Bar Prestige, and for a larger lunch or dinner, I recommend Maison des Halles or Hôtel-Restaurant du Marché.
If you’re in town on a Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday morning, this is also the site of the local market. The whole area is packed with vendors and the already busy square is filled with all sorts of delicious smells. There are thousands of different cheeses to choose from (they offer free samples too), seasonal vegetables, fruit and, of course, fish.
5. The church aka La Collégiale de Neuchâtel
The last “must-see” attraction is the castle of Neuchâtel and its church, La Collégiale de Neuchâtel. Of all the activities, this is probably the only one that can be a bit tiring, especially in hot weather, so I left it for last. The way leads through fabulous narrow streets and a relatively short flight of stairs up to the castle district and the church. I think it’s absolutely manageable, but if you need to take a break, you can stop by the antiquarian bookshop I mentioned earlier.
The castle of Neuchâtel dates back to the 12th century and, and once served as a defensive fortification for the city. Today it is a museum showcasing the history of the city and the surrounding region. In the castle district you will also find La Collégiale de Neuchâtel, a church with gardens offering panoramic views of the entire city, with Lake Neuchâtel and the Alps — a perfect spot for a selfie. The church itself is in Gothic style and its impressive clockwork is one of the symbols of the city. It’s free to visit when there’s no mass, and it’s well worth a look because it’s beautiful from the inside too. The first thing you’ll notice is the dark blue vault decorated with thousands of tiny stars. And then, as your eyes adjust, the interior of the three-nave basilica reveals itself, adorned with stunning stone carvings and rose windows. Perhaps it’s just my Hungarian perspective that finds medieval churches unusually captivating (we have mostly baroque churches in Hungary), but to me, they seem truly extraordinary.
More programs and sights to visit and see around Neuchâtel
Of course, you can’t fit everything into a one-day trip, especially if you’re also going for a boat trip or a beach trip. But in case you have more time, I have put together a few more attractions and activities in the area of Neuchâtel that I highly recommend.
– Museum of Art and History: It has a rich collection of the city’s artistic and historical heritage. It also has the world’s first artificial robot, the Jaquet-Droz automata, dating from the 18th century.
– Papiliorama: The Papiliorama is actually a butterfly garden, where more than 1000 exotic (and huge) butterflies fly freely around visitors.
– Hikes: There are plenty of hiking trails around Neuchâtel. I think the Creux du Van (I would compare it to a horseshoe-shaped rock arena) and the Areuse Gorges are the most interesting ones.
– Yverdon-les-Bains: A small spa town 20 minutes from Neuchâtel. There’s a comic book museum, an aqua park, and much more. I’ve written a separate blog post on the topic if you’re curious.
– In the summer, the Festi’Neuch festival is definitely not to be missed, find out more about the concerts and programs here.
– Check out the fabulous Christmas markets too if you’re here in winter. There’s a Christmas village in the city center and a Christmas fair on the lakeside.
