Switzerland's Jura Crest Trail

A two week trek from Zurich to Geneva

By Ali Rowsell

ISBN

9781852849450

Availability

Published

11 Jan 2019

Edition

First

Pages

184

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

210g

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Guidebook to the Jura Crest Trail or Cretes du Jura (also known as the Jura High Route), traversing the undulating limestone plateau of the Swiss Jura. The 310km trail, from Dielsdorf near Zurich to Nyon on Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), is presented in 14 day stages and boasts great scenery and rich natural, historical and geological interest.

Seasons

The best time of year to walk the Jura Crest Trail is between May and September, when more accommodation options and transport links are available.

Centres

Dielsdorf, Baden, Brugg, Balsthal, Weissenstein, Solothurn (slightly off-route), Biel/Bienne (slightly off-route), Vue des Alpes, Noiraigue, Vallorbe, Le Pont, Ste-Cergue, Nyon

Difficulty

Stages are graded according to difficulty. The Jura Crest Trail is classified as an easy hiking trail (Wanderweg), with some sections requiring a higher level of fitness than others. Stage 1 has the only optional section of 'mountain' trail (Bergweg), to descend into Baden. Specialist equipment is not required.

Must See

The historic medieval towns of Regensberg, Baden and Brugg; the geological wonders of the Creux du Van and La Dole; Chasseral (1607m), Le Chasseron (1607m) and Mont Tendre (1679m); WWI & WWII relics such as the fortress and mountain road of the Belchenflue; Switzerland's largest mountain lake above 1000m, Lac de Joux; Switzerland's largest lake, Lac Léman (Lake Geneva); impressive cols linking Switzerland to France

ISBN

9781852849450

Availability

Published

11 Jan 2019

Edition

First

Pages

184

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.10cm

Weight

210g

Overview

This guide presents Switzerland's Jura Crest Trail or Crêtes du Jura (also known as the Jura High Route and Swiss national route 5. This 310km long-distance route traverses the sub-alpine mountains of the Swiss Jura from Dielsdorf near Zurich to Nyon on the shores of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), running roughly parallel to the Swiss-French border. With over 13,500m of ascent, the trail demands a moderate level of fitness and can be comfortably completed in around a fortnight.

The Jura Crest Trail is easily accessed from Zurich and Geneva. The region boasts excellent walking infrastructure and facilities, and although the trail crosses the mountains, you are seldom too far from civilisation. The guide contains all the information you need to plan and walk the route. You'll find advice on transport and comprehensive details of accommodation and refreshments. The trek itself is presented from east to west in 14 stages of 12-32km, with step-by-step route description accompanied by clear mapping and notes on local points of interest.

The Jura Crest Trail boasts far-reaching views of the Bernese Oberland, the Haute Savoie and the Rhine and Rhone Valleys, and is rich in geological, natural and historical interest. Passing through woodland and alpine meadows and crossing rolling limestone plateaux, highlights include the spectacular amphitheatre of the Creux du Van, the medieval towns of Baden and Brugg, and Lac de Joux, the largest lake in the Jura mountains.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Route summary table

Map key

Overview map

Introduction

The Jura Crest Trail

Geology of the Jura mountains

World War II and the Jura mountains

Flowers of the Jura mountains

When to go

Suggested itineraries

Getting there and around

Accommodation

Food and drink

Language

Money

What to take

Maps

Waymarking and trails

Safety in the mountains

Using this guide

The Jura Crest Trail (East to West)

Stage 1 Dielsdorf to Neustalden

Stage 2 Neustalden to Hauenstein

Stage 3 Hauenstein to Balsthal

Stage 4 Balsthal to Weissenstein

Stage 5 Weissenstein to Frinvillier

Stage 6 Frinvillier to Chasseral

Stage 7 Chasseral to Vue des Alpes

Stage 8 Vue des Alpes to Noiraigue

Stage 9 Noiraigue to Sainte-Croix

Stage 10 Sainte-Croix to Vallorbe

Stage 11 Vallorbe to Col du Mollendruz

Stage 12 Col du Mollendruz to Col du Marchairuz

Stage 13 Col du Marchairuz to Saint-Cergue

Stage 14 Saint-Cergue to Nyon

Appendix A Accommodation

Appendix B Useful contacts

Appendix C Glossary

Maps

Maps

The Swiss have produced very detailed online mapping, considered to be some of the best in the world, that can be downloaded to electronic devices and used offline. Some platforms provide it free of charge, for example Switzerland Mobility, an online free tool to find hikes, bikes, paddles, ski tours and snowshoeing throughout the country. Public rights of way can be discovered, alongside recommended routes.

Swiss paper maps are beautiful, intricately detailed pieces of art. You can purchase waterproof, tear-resistant mapping online, as well as download files, from the Federal Office of Topography, otherwise known as Swiss Topo. As with Harvey’s Maps in the UK, the hiking scale is generally considered to be 1:33,000, although 1:50,000 is recommended if you are completing the full trail to minimise the number of maps you need to carry.

If opting for the Swiss Topo 1:50,000 maps, you would need the following sheets to cover the full route:

Stage 1: 215T Baden Stage 2: 214T Liestal (only a small part of this map is used) Stages 2 and 3: 224T Olten Stages 4 and 5: 223T Delémont Stage 5: 233T Solothurn (only a small part of this map is used) Stages 6, 7 and 8: 232T Vallon de Saint-Imier Stages 8, 9 and 10: 241T Val de Travers Stages 10, 11 and 12: 251T La Sarraz Stages 12, 13 and 14: 260T Saint-Cergue

Alternatively, Kümmerly and Frey cover the Jura Crest Trail at 1:60,000 on sheets 3 (Jura), 4 (Basel), 5 (Aargau), 8 (Neuchâtel), 15 (Lausanne – Vallée de Joux) and a small part of sheet 21 (Geneva). They also cover the first third of the trail at 1:50,000 on sheets 9 (Baselland), 10 (Aargau) and Jura (15).

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Ali Rowsell

Ali Rowsell is a full-time teacher who has worked internationally, in countries including Australia, South Korea and Switzerland. She specialises in the outdoors, in particular mountain walking, and is a freelance International Mountain Leader. Based in Sussex, Ali continues to venture into Switzerland on a regular basis: having lived in the southern part of the Jura, she is very familiar with the local area and enjoys summer and winter activities in the mountains around Lac de Joux.

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