Jura

Aaron & Clare
1. Sept. 2019
3 Min. Lesezeit

Aktualisiert: 22. Aug. 2021

Our personal travel and photo guide for Switzerland

Highlights in Switzerland: Creux du Van © Aaron Matzinger's photo locations guide for Switzerland - walkerbout.ch — Sunrise prep at Creux du Van

My second contribution of my Swiss photo guide brings us to an area called Jura. This sub-alpine mountain range north of the Swiss Alps stretches from Geneva almost to Zürich and offers many places of beauty. Here are my favorite spots:

Tine de Conflens:

A lovely hidden place near La Sarraz is Tine de Conflens. The walk through the woods ends at a beautiful waterfall. This place is less explored and very peaceful.

From here you can drive further into the Jura: My trip ended on top of Dent de Vaulion with a great view to Lac de Joux. This lake gets the water from underneath the ground from the Orbe river. The river disappears near Valorbe into a spectacular cave system called Grottes de Vallorbe and finds its way out to feed the lake from below ground.

Highlights in Switzerland: Lac de Joux © Aaron Matzinger's photo locations guide for Switzerland - walkerbout.ch — View from Dent de Vaulion to Lac de Joux

Creux du Van:

This is probably one of the more popular places in the Jura with a great opportunity to see an alpine ibex. I stayed at the budget accommodation at Soliat. From here you have the closest access to the horseshoe shaped canyon with great opportunities for sunrise or sunset photos. Once, when I was taking a picture at sunset, I had just prepared my tripod and an ibex moved into the frame right in front of the lens with the scenery in the background – what an experience that was (and I got a great photo too)!

Another lovely place is found at the bottom of this 1200m long and 500m deep rock arena: the Areuse gorge, which is just near the Hotel de la Truite where you can eat fantastic trout, drink strong jurassic beer and enjoy a walk along the mossy gorge. This is an excellent bad weather option since Creux du Van often disappears in clouds and it took me 3 trips until I finally saw the cliffs.

Highlights in Switzerland: Areuse Gorge © Aaron Matzinger's photo locations guide for Switzerland - walkerbout.ch — Areuse Gorge

Ligerz:

This is more or less where you find the language ‚border’ and French changes to Swiss German. Along the two lakes you find many wine villages with gorgeous lake views. This photo was taken in Ligerz – a little place hidden away from the highway - in early November just at the end of the autumn colors.

Taubenloch Gorge:

In the Jura, you can find many gorges and these are lovely spots when the sun isn‘t shining. This photo was taken just after a heavy downpour in the Taubenlochschlucht near Biel.

Highlights in Switzerland: Taubenlochschlucht © Aaron Matzinger's photo locations guide for Switzerland - walkerbout.ch — Taubenlochschlucht

Belchenfluh:

This is another great spot for autumn or winter time. In these seasons, however, this area between the Alps and Jura - the Mittelland – can often be covered by a thick layer of fog when the rest of Switzerland is sunny! I decided to get up very early to experience this amazing atmosphere where the fog tries to move across the hills, but can’t quite make it over.