There are several options to start out this route. We were suggested to start at the asphalt mines in Travers, a maze of galleries worked out by minors in the old days to extract asphalt. Exploitation stopped in 1986 but guided tours take the visitors through a journey to the center of the earth.

From there, we took the cycle track along the banks of the Areuse, a river which crosses the Val-de-Travers and flows into the Lake of Neuchâtel. Then the route climbs up to Môtiers Castle, a 14th century edifice offering a splendid view of the charming eponymous village and the valley. In the heart of the village an old priory shelters the Mauler cellars that elaborate delicious sparkling wine. Then we returned to Couvet and Travers, two villages among others in the valley that produce absinthe. Tasting sessions can be organized in many distilleries, all unique in style.