Hiking In the swiss jura
The Jura mountains occupy western Switzerland like a giant croissant plopped down between Geneva and Zürich. The wide sweeping arc of the Jura range extends from the Rhône River near Geneva to the Rhine, covering more than 200 miles and straddling most of the Franco-Swiss border as it goes. This arc jurassien, as the Jura region is sometimes called, is a very prominent geographic feature in Switzerland. The Jura forms a natural border between Switzerland and France, and it’s one of the three main geographic regions of Switzerland, occupying a dignified place alongside the Alps and the Swiss Plateau.
Despite the Jura’s prominence within Switzerland, the region receives scant mentions in guidebooks and travelogues. The lack of coverage is due in large part to the Jura’s dearth of magazine cover destinations. You won’t find sparkling glaciers in the Jura hills, nor will you find brooding north faces which tempt climbers from around the world. The Jura mountains are also comparatively low, with peaks rarely topping out at more than 1,500 meters, and the transportation infrastructure is thin when compared with the dense network of chairlifts, trams, and mountain conveyances that connects so many villages in the Bernese Oberland and Valais. What you will find in the Jura, however, are abundant hiking and cycling trails, and a relaxed, authentic Swiss experience with a variety of quiet hills, wind-swept peaks, medieval towns, lush orchards, and serene valleys protecting quiet farming villages that have mastered the art of slowing down. Oh, and the cuisine, inspired by the French neighbors next door, is delicious!
Much of the Jura region is French-speaking, which helps to explain the vibrant café culture, but the language switches to German as the mountains turn northeast. An invisible linguistic divide, humorously referred to by locals as the Röstigraben, separates the French-speaking side from the German. Visitors that spend time near the Röstigraben will notice place names written in both French and German. The nearby town of Biel, for example, is also referred to as Bienne. The town known as Murten by German speakers is also known as Morat by the Francophones. This mixing of languages can be confusing for visitors, but it also lends a very romantic and somewhat wild atmosphere to the land. Locals often refer to the Jura region as la frontière—an apt description for a place that acknowledges multiple languages and cultural differences, sometimes within the same city council chambers!
If you have extra time to spend in Switzerland, then consider hiking the Jura Crest trail. The Jura Crest is Switzerland’s oldest official long distance hike (founded in 1905). The trail begins in Dielsdorf just outside of Zürich and finishes in Nyon just on the shores of Lake Geneva following the Jura mountains the entire way. The total hike takes around two weeks, but with a few itinerary changes and logistical support, a hiker may enjoy the most scenic highlights on a much shorter schedule.
One of our favorite stops along the Jura Crest trail is the Creux du Van. The Creux du Van is an immense cirque (a gigantic amphitheater of rock eroded by glaciers) that formed during the Jurassic period 200 million years ago. Incidentally, the Jura range is named after this very same Jurassic period.
The nearby lakes of Neuchâtel, Murten, and Biel also require a visit. So too does the Maison de l’Absinthe! Absinthe is an intriguing specialty of the region.
For hiking tours that visit this region of the Swiss Alps, please click here.
