The village of Couvet lies on both banks of the Areuse River. The Grotte des Plaints was settled in the Palaeolithic Age between 50,000 and 40,000 BC. The first written mention of Couvet dates back to 1359. The onset of industrialisation at the end of the 18th century and the burgeoning engineering and watchmaking industry transformed Couvet, together with Fleurier, into the economic centre of the Val de Travers. The 19th century saw the opening of several absinthe distilleries in the region and the cultivation of large crops of the medicinal wormwood plant from which it is made.

There are several villas built during the era of industrialisation in the old village centre. The reformed church was built in 1658, followed by the Maison de l’Ecu de la France in 1690.

The asphalt mines in Travers operated for 146 years before they were closed in 1986. The old mine is a tourist attraction and offers exciting guided excursions into an underground labyrinth of passages and galleries. There is also an exhibition on asphalt mining. The industrial museum’s prime exhibits include some of the world’s first knitting machines manufactured by Dubied and the Atelier Léopold Bourquin, a mechanical workshop.

A hike through the dense pine forest offers insight into the importance of forestry in the valley. A free brochure containing more information is available at Neuchâtel Tourism.

Môtiers is just a two-minute train ride from Couvet and has several historic buildings including the 11th-century castle and the former Benedictine Monastery of Saint-Pierre, founded in the early 11th century.