Les Hauts-Geneveys combines hiking trails and scenery with a local history visible in its buildings, works of art and railway station. The village, in the canton of Neuchâtel, was a Swiss municipality and is located in the Val-de-Ruz region. At an altitude of 986 metres, it lies on the eastern slope of Tête de Ran in the Neuchâtel Jura. When planning a visit, you can therefore consider both the trails through the high-altitude landscape and the cultural traces in the village.
Landscape and hiking routes
Tête de Ran is a 1,422-metre-high peak near Les Hauts-Geneveys. From the summit, a walk leads to Mont Dar. The “Les Hauts-Geneveys – Chambrelien” hike also starts in the village: after a steep initial section to Tête de Ran, it follows the Jura Crest Trail for most of the way. If you are interested in this route, you can distinguish between the initial climb and the subsequent stretch along the ridge trail.
Other trails highlight different aspects of the landscape. “La lisière” (Chemin chouette No. 4) runs along the edge of the forest between villages, farmland and wooded areas. “Les boviducs” (Chemin chouette No. 3) ends in Les Hauts-Geneveys and passes through hedgerows and wooded pastures. The paths there were created for driving livestock. Together, the routes reveal different sides of the landscape: the ridge trail, the transitions along the forest edge and the paths shaped by agricultural use.
The views also take in several landmarks. From the station esplanade, you can see across the Val-de-Ruz, Lake Neuchâtel and the Alps. In clear weather, Les Hauts-Geneveys also offers views across the Val-de-Ruz and towards the Swiss Plateau and the Alps.
Art and history in the village
The former town hall dates from 1780. In the past, it served as an inn and hotel, a schoolhouse and a place of worship. Nearby stands a fountain with an enclosed main basin made of limestone. It bears the initials of former local governors and the year 1825. The building and fountain thus connect two different historical traces: the building's changing uses and the local names and dates on the fountain.
Artworks at the Centre des Perce-Neige are also part of the village's history. They include a work by Alfred Manessier from 1977, “Rencontre” by the sculptor Berthoud, and “La Ronde”, a bronze work by Jean-Claude Reussner. The latter two works also date from 1977. A plaque on the road to La Vue-des-Alpes also commemorates the economist Silvio Gesell (1862–1930).
A plaque opposite the station provides information about the history of the railway line described there. It was the first railway line to go into operation in the canton of Neuchâtel. At the time, it had the longest tunnel in Switzerland. The station is therefore not only a viewpoint, but also a landmark connected with the region's railway history.
Activities for planning your stay
For mountain biking, the “La Vue des Alpes Bike” route starts and ends in Les Hauts-Geneveys and is a circuit. This differs from the hiking routes mentioned above, each of which has either an endpoint or a starting point in the village. Check current trail notices before setting out. When looking for hotels, you can also first decide whether hiking, mountain biking, scenery or local history will be the main focus of your stay.
Discover more destinations: Fontainemelon, La Vue Des Alpes, Boudevilliers, Montmollin, Villiers Ne, Dombresson, Cernier, Fontaines.
See the main travel overview: Val-De-Ruz.
