Vallée de Joux and Lac de Joux

No, hardly any guest passes by the Vallée de Joux by chance. The plateau in the westernmost tip of Switzerland, directly adjacent to France, is too secluded. This is probably why the closed valley in the Vaud Jura has retained its austere character to this day. The landscape up here is characterised by gentle hills covered with fir forests, moorland landscapes and watercourses. An untouched natural paradise for all outdoor enthusiasts. It is not as sleepy as the valley seems at first glance. While hiking, you can discover one or two local specialties and immerse yourself in the cultural diversity. Variety guaranteed.

Blue oasis in the Vallée de Joux with hike

Framed by lush green hills, the Lac de Joux stretches almost the entire length of the Vallée de Joux and is an insider tip among water sports enthusiasts. Thanks to frequent winds, sailors and windsurfers will find top conditions here. But it also unfolds its very own magic from the shore in the early hours of the morning. On the 22 km long Tour du Lac de Joux, fit hikers can hike around the largest lake in the Jura massif. A beautiful route to discover the valley in the slow way. By the way, in cold winters you can still experience a real “Seegfrörni” here.

Fête du Vacherin – when cheese is celebrated at the Vallée de Joux

Every year in September, the valley revolves around one cheese – the Vacherin Mont-d’Or. The entire population of the valley flocks to the small village of Les Charbonnières for the occasion. The special thing about Vacherin Mont-d’Or is that it can only be consumed from September to April. During the summer months, the Vacherin is not available. I myself associate a lot of childhood memories with this cheese. After all, the “stinky” cheese, in my eyes, was my father’s favorite side dish for the traditional Gschwellti meal. Today I appreciate the taste and at last year’s Fête du Vacherin I threw myself over the fresh cheese. At the same time, the festival is associated with alpine descents. In addition to the Vacherin, many other local delicacies are sold at the market. For all gourmets and slow food fans, a date to save for next September. More information can be found here: Vacherin Mont-d’Or

A valley of watchmakers

The Vallée de Joux is considered the cradle of watchmaking and is still home to some well-known watch manufacturers who export their luxury watches from this small valley to the big wide world. The fine pieces are produced, for example, by Audemars Piguet, Blancpain and Romain Gauthier in Le Brassus, by Breguet in L’Orient or by Jaeger Lecoultre in Le Sentier. The most beautiful historic watchmaking farmhouses can be discovered on foot or by bike. In rainy weather – and this happens quite often in this harsh climate – the Espace Horloger watch museum is an entertaining place to go. Here, in a former watch factory building, the history of the watch industry in the Vallée de Joux is explained. In addition, there are numerous valuable pieces from the manufactories of the valley to admire. Why, by the way, an epicenter of watch production could form here in this seclusion has not been conclusively clarified. But the deep roots of this tradition have at least meant that even in today’s global age, watch manufacturers consciously choose the Vallée de Joux as their business location.

My visit to the Vallée de Joux was at the invitation of the Region du Lac Léman. Thank you very much for this! As always, my readers can be sure that I always represent my views and enthusiasm.