At around 735 metres on the northern edge of Val-de-Travers, Boveresse lies opposite Môtiers in the Neuchâtel Jura. The village brings together tangible traces of absinthe history and La Vy aux Moines, a long route on which Boveresse is marked at kilometre 2. The Tilleul des catholiques also deserves a closer look: the old tree stands as a reminder of another, religiously rooted chapter in the village’s history.

Absinthe history at the Séchoir à absinthe

The Séchoir à absinthe was built in 1893 by the Barrelet brothers from Boveresse and has been protected as a historic monument since 1998. The absinthe drying shed provides insight into the cultivation and drying of absinthe plants, as well as absinthe’s former economic importance in Val-de-Travers. The educational tour also explains the importance of the absinthe plant to the regional economy in 1900 and is offered in French, German and English.

The exhibition and garden also explore the subject in different ways. The exhibition features agricultural vehicles and horse-drawn carts. Plants used to make absinthe grow in the garden around the shed; visitors can smell them and sometimes taste them. The interpretation thus covers both the cultivation of the plants and their role in regional history.

There is one clear condition for visiting: the Séchoir is open exclusively to groups of ten or more by prior reservation. The guided tours are for groups of ten to 15 people and last 45 to 60 minutes. Group size and advance booking should therefore be factored into planning this cultural stop.

La Vy aux Moines: a long route

La Vy aux Moines can be travelled on foot or by mountain bike. The full route is 33 kilometres long, with an elevation gain of 940 metres. The complete route from Môtiers to Montbenoît is listed as taking ten hours on foot; it can be completed in a day. Boveresse lies at kilometre 2 of the route, at an elevation of 735 metres. These details place the village near the start of the route, while the ten-hour duration applies to the full journey.

For travel planning, there are two different timeframes to consider: a reserved guided tour lasting 45 to 60 minutes and a full-day hike with ten hours of walking. The figures refer to the guided tour and the complete route, respectively.

The Tilleul des catholiques

Le Tilleul des catholiques has stood in the forest of Boveresse for more than half a millennium. The hollow tree once sheltered a statue of Notre-Dame. Pilgrims stopped there to pray for protection. This traditional account links the tree to a religious tradition and offers a different perspective from the absinthe history of the Séchoir: here, the focus is on a former place of worship, not the economic history of a plant.

Together, these themes offer a multifaceted picture of Boveresse: a protected historic building that reveals how absinthe plants were cultivated and dried, a route with clearly stated distance and walking time, and an old tree of historical significance. When choosing accommodation, you can then decide whether your trip will focus mainly on absinthe culture, a longer hike or the village’s different stories.

Discover more destinations: Les Verrières, La Côte-Aux-Fées, Couvet, Buttes, Travers Ne, Môtiers, Saint-Sulpice Ne, Fleurier

See the main travel overview: Val-De-Travers.