Le Locle: 5 good reasons for a trip to the watch city

In 2009, the small Jura town of Le Locle was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites together with the neighbouring La Chaux-de-Fonds. After devastating fires in the early 19th century, both cities were rebuilt strictly according to the needs of the watch industry and are thus special witnesses of urban planning. Le Locle is not only worth seeing for its rich past, but also scores with contemporary art and charming small-town atmosphere.

Le Locle – the watchmaking city in the Neuchâtel Jura

While I have visited the neighbouring La Chaux-de-Fonds more than once, Le Locle was only known to me as a transfer point. If you travel by public transport to Les Brenets on the Saut de Doubs or to the Siberia of Switzerland – La Brévine – you will pass by Le Locle, for example. It’s a pity, really, because when it comes to sights, the statement “small but mighty” pretty much hits the mark at Le Locle. A long watchmaking tradition, monumental buildings, an underground industrial heritage, a casual street art itinerary and, not to forget, a lively old town with recommended places to stop for refreshments and the opportunity to spend the night in a watchmaking monument.

This autumn we took the opportunity and added a day of sightseeing in Le Locle to our two-day hike over the Chasseral to the Vue des Alpes. We deliberately wanted to take 24 hours to explore the small town in the Neuchâtel Jura in all its extensiveness. In short: it’s worth it! The details can be found in the following lines.

1. Because Le Locle surprises with an exciting street art tour

Let’s start with an absolute highlight: If you follow the free street art tour through the grid-shaped streets of the city center of Le Locle, you kill two birds with one stone. On the one hand, the tour takes us past a large number of buildings worth seeing, including the former town hall with its magnificent frescoes and paintings. On the other hand, the “Exomusée Art urbain” invites you to visit various techniques of street art. Most of the motifs also deal with the local heritage in a more or less subtle way.

Currently, there are 31 works of art to discover throughout the city – and the trend is rising. In 2022, for example, seven new murals were added. Among them is the memorable, large-scale motif of a boy on a bicycle called “jouer avec des bouts de ficelles” by the artist duo Telmo & Miel.

An overview of all participating artists as well as a digital map with the street art spots can be found on the Exomusée website. On site, you can also get a printed map at the tourist office (located outside the centre at the Moulins basements) or at the Maison DuBois. If you want to effectively “rattle off” all the subjects, you should plan at least half a day for this. For a tour of the center, about two hours are to be calculated. My favourite motif is the precisely depicted “Grande Gentiane” by Mona Caron at 4 Rue Georges-Favre.

2. Because the Musée des beaux-arts scores with exciting exhibitions

If you “explore” Le Locle with the street art map in your hand, you will most likely walk past the Musée des beaux-arts. This is located in an Art Nouveau building on Rue Marie-Anne-Calame, directly opposite the mural by Telmo & Miel. We were inspired by the visually skilfully curated special exhibitions. Definitely a place in Le Locle that art lovers should make a note of!

Open from Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. | Admission adults: 8 CHF | Admission is free for children, students and with the Neuchâtel Tourist Card | For more information, click here: mbal.ch

3. Because you can immerse yourself in the mysteries of time at the Clock Museum

No visit to a watch city is complete without a visit to the local watch museum – logo, right? And in Le Locle, it’s particularly worthwhile. To be honest, I thought that our trip to the Château des Monts would only be a short flying visit. But the collection, which is on display in the magnificent patrician house 20 minutes’ walk above Le Locle train station, offers fascinating exhibits and an informative audio guide tour. In the end, we spent almost two hours in the museum and were the only visitors the whole time (which I couldn’t believe!).

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (November 1 to April 30) / 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (May 1 to October 31) | Regular admission adults: 10 CHF | for children aged 10 and over and students: 5 CHF | free admission with Neuchâtel Tourist Card | For more information, please visit: Musée d’Horlogerie du Locle

4. Because Bistro Fleur de Lis serves fine regional dishes

If you visit Le Locle, you should also make a note of the bistro of the same name in the Hôtel de la Fleur de Lis. Here, a tasty and inexpensive market cuisine is served in a cozy ambience. The culinary offer also includes a daily changing lunch menu for 18 CHF (incl. vegan option). And on the evening menu, there is a mix of modern interpretations of regional classics and a few more daring combinations to choose from. When it comes to local drink accompaniment, it’s best to ask the friendly team for up-to-date tips.

5. Because you can stay in one of the oldest watchmaking houses in the heart of Le Locle

Now you can visit the above-mentioned sights of Le Locle as part of a day trip or – and this would be my fifth tip – extend the trip to a short trip with an overnight stay at Maison DuBois. This not only has the advantage that you will be equipped with the Neuchâtel Tourist Card for one night or more and thus save yourself admission to the museum, but you will also get an insight into life as a watchmaking family in the 19th century in the centrally located bed and breakfast. The Maison DuBois is one of the oldest houses in Swiss watchmaking. For example, the breakfast buffet in the former studio is served directly on the original watchmaker’s workbench.

The Maison DuBois has five themed guest rooms. We spent one night in the room «Zen» (from 96 CHF for single occupancy, from 132 CHF for double room | breakfast + 12 CHF per person). Definitely a recommended base to discover Le Locle.

More information and booking: Maison DuBois – Chambres d’Hôtes

More tips and places of interest around Le Locle

• Another attraction of Le Locle are the so-called Moulins basements, just outside the city centre. These are hydraulic mills built deep underground in the 17th century. An excursion destination that is also ideal as a bad weather option or guarantees cooling on hot summer days. More information can be found here: lesmoulins.ch
• Le Locle can not only be explored on the street art tour – there is also a so-called “Watchmaker Course” with 39 stations. You can find the corresponding map on the website of Jura & Three-Lakes-Land
• Le Locle is also an ideal base from which to visit other places of interest in the Neuchâtel Jura (including the Saut du Doubs) and to go hiking.

Note: our stay in Le Locle was supported by Jura & Three-Lakes Region. As always, all impressions and tips in this article have been independently researched and documented by us.