Mountainbiking
Le Sentier
Le Chenit
Le Sentier
Despite repeated crises, watchmaking is the characteristic industry in Le Sentier in the austere, near-to-nature Vallée de Joux near the French border. A museum gives visitors an insight into watchmaking tradition.
Le Sentier is a part of the Canton Vaud Le Chenit municipality, which encompasses a section of the Vallée de Joux from the south-western end of Lac de Joux as far as the Swiss-French country border and also includes the villages Le Brassus and L'Orient and other hamlets.
The Vallée de Joux, with the largest lake in the Jura massif, the Lac de Joux at 1004 m altitude, is an austere, unspoilt natural world nestling between two Jura chains. Well known for its favourable winds, it is a magnet for keen windsurfers and yachtsmen and also for other water-sport lovers and swimmers. It offers a scheduled boat service in summer. A regional railway runs alongside the lake and through pine forests and Jura moorland from Vallorbe to Le Sentier and Le Brassus, strongholds of Swiss watchmaking for almost 300 years. Today, following several crises, the watchmaking and associated supply industries in the remote region once again provide a significant income, particularly in the manufacture of high-quality luxury watches.
The history of chronography and repeating watches can be followed at the Museum «L'Espace Horloger» in Le Sentier and information gathered on current production of luxury watches. The top-class brand of Audemars Piquet also has its own museum in neighbouring Le Brassus.
In the «Parc Jurassien vaudois» nature reserve stretching from Col de Marchairuz on the Jura chain towards the southwest and northeast, hikers find a park-like landscape with colourful flower-filled meadows and extensive woodland areas, repeatedly affording fantastic views of Lac Léman and the Savoy Alps e.g. from Mont Tendre. Educational nature trails and excursions lead through the nature park.
Hundreds of ice skaters often take to the ice of the frozen Lac de Joux in winter. The cross-country skiing paradise on the French-Swiss border is one of the most extensive in Central Europe. The austere landscape is also very popular with winter walkers and snowshoe trekkers. The Vallée de Joux offers downhill skiers and snowboarders a small skiing area: L'Abbaye has four skilifts and Le Brassus and L'Orient each have three.
The Vallée de Joux, with the largest lake in the Jura massif, the Lac de Joux at 1004 m altitude, is an austere, unspoilt natural world nestling between two Jura chains. Well known for its favourable winds, it is a magnet for keen windsurfers and yachtsmen and also for other water-sport lovers and swimmers. It offers a scheduled boat service in summer. A regional railway runs alongside the lake and through pine forests and Jura moorland from Vallorbe to Le Sentier and Le Brassus, strongholds of Swiss watchmaking for almost 300 years. Today, following several crises, the watchmaking and associated supply industries in the remote region once again provide a significant income, particularly in the manufacture of high-quality luxury watches.
The history of chronography and repeating watches can be followed at the Museum «L'Espace Horloger» in Le Sentier and information gathered on current production of luxury watches. The top-class brand of Audemars Piquet also has its own museum in neighbouring Le Brassus.
In the «Parc Jurassien vaudois» nature reserve stretching from Col de Marchairuz on the Jura chain towards the southwest and northeast, hikers find a park-like landscape with colourful flower-filled meadows and extensive woodland areas, repeatedly affording fantastic views of Lac Léman and the Savoy Alps e.g. from Mont Tendre. Educational nature trails and excursions lead through the nature park.
Hundreds of ice skaters often take to the ice of the frozen Lac de Joux in winter. The cross-country skiing paradise on the French-Swiss border is one of the most extensive in Central Europe. The austere landscape is also very popular with winter walkers and snowshoe trekkers. The Vallée de Joux offers downhill skiers and snowboarders a small skiing area: L'Abbaye has four skilifts and Le Brassus and L'Orient each have three.
Highlights
- L'Espace Horloger Watchmaking Museum in Le Sentier – history of watchmaking, a valuable collection of pendule clocks and a reproduction of an old watchmaking workshop.
- Parc Jurassien Vaudois– impressive nature reserve and wonderful hiking area on the first Jura chain between Lac Léman and Vallée de Joux.
- Steam trains – the 14 km-long railway line from Le Pont to Le Brassus opened in 1899; steam locomotives operate on selected days in addition to normal trains.
Despite repeated crises, watchmaking is the characteristic industry in Le Sentier in the austere, near-to-nature Vallée de Joux near the French border. A museum gives visitors an insight into watchmaking tradition.
Le Sentier is a part of the Canton Vaud Le Chenit municipality, which encompasses a section of the Vallée de Joux from the south-western end of Lac de Joux as far as the Swiss-French country border and also includes the villages Le Brassus and L'Orient and other hamlets.
The Vallée de Joux, with the largest lake in the Jura massif, the Lac de Joux at 1004 m altitude, is an austere, unspoilt natural world nestling between two Jura chains. Well known for its favourable winds, it is a magnet for keen windsurfers and yachtsmen and also for other water-sport lovers and swimmers. It offers a scheduled boat service in summer. A regional railway runs alongside the lake and through pine forests and Jura moorland from Vallorbe to Le Sentier and Le Brassus, strongholds of Swiss watchmaking for almost 300 years. Today, following several crises, the watchmaking and associated supply industries in the remote region once again provide a significant income, particularly in the manufacture of high-quality luxury watches.
The history of chronography and repeating watches can be followed at the Museum «L'Espace Horloger» in Le Sentier and information gathered on current production of luxury watches. The top-class brand of Audemars Piquet also has its own museum in neighbouring Le Brassus.
In the «Parc Jurassien vaudois» nature reserve stretching from Col de Marchairuz on the Jura chain towards the southwest and northeast, hikers find a park-like landscape with colourful flower-filled meadows and extensive woodland areas, repeatedly affording fantastic views of Lac Léman and the Savoy Alps e.g. from Mont Tendre. Educational nature trails and excursions lead through the nature park.
Hundreds of ice skaters often take to the ice of the frozen Lac de Joux in winter. The cross-country skiing paradise on the French-Swiss border is one of the most extensive in Central Europe. The austere landscape is also very popular with winter walkers and snowshoe trekkers. The Vallée de Joux offers downhill skiers and snowboarders a small skiing area: L'Abbaye has four skilifts and Le Brassus and L'Orient each have three.
The Vallée de Joux, with the largest lake in the Jura massif, the Lac de Joux at 1004 m altitude, is an austere, unspoilt natural world nestling between two Jura chains. Well known for its favourable winds, it is a magnet for keen windsurfers and yachtsmen and also for other water-sport lovers and swimmers. It offers a scheduled boat service in summer. A regional railway runs alongside the lake and through pine forests and Jura moorland from Vallorbe to Le Sentier and Le Brassus, strongholds of Swiss watchmaking for almost 300 years. Today, following several crises, the watchmaking and associated supply industries in the remote region once again provide a significant income, particularly in the manufacture of high-quality luxury watches.
The history of chronography and repeating watches can be followed at the Museum «L'Espace Horloger» in Le Sentier and information gathered on current production of luxury watches. The top-class brand of Audemars Piquet also has its own museum in neighbouring Le Brassus.
In the «Parc Jurassien vaudois» nature reserve stretching from Col de Marchairuz on the Jura chain towards the southwest and northeast, hikers find a park-like landscape with colourful flower-filled meadows and extensive woodland areas, repeatedly affording fantastic views of Lac Léman and the Savoy Alps e.g. from Mont Tendre. Educational nature trails and excursions lead through the nature park.
Hundreds of ice skaters often take to the ice of the frozen Lac de Joux in winter. The cross-country skiing paradise on the French-Swiss border is one of the most extensive in Central Europe. The austere landscape is also very popular with winter walkers and snowshoe trekkers. The Vallée de Joux offers downhill skiers and snowboarders a small skiing area: L'Abbaye has four skilifts and Le Brassus and L'Orient each have three.
Highlights
- L'Espace Horloger Watchmaking Museum in Le Sentier – history of watchmaking, a valuable collection of pendule clocks and a reproduction of an old watchmaking workshop.
- Parc Jurassien Vaudois– impressive nature reserve and wonderful hiking area on the first Jura chain between Lac Léman and Vallée de Joux.
- Steam trains – the 14 km-long railway line from Le Pont to Le Brassus opened in 1899; steam locomotives operate on selected days in addition to normal trains.
Arrival and return Le Sentier
Adresse
Vallée de Joux Tourisme
Centre Sportif
1347 Le Chenit
Tel. +41 (0)21 845 17 77
info@valleedejoux.ch
www.myvalleedejoux.ch
Centre Sportif
1347 Le Chenit
Tel. +41 (0)21 845 17 77
info@valleedejoux.ch
www.myvalleedejoux.ch
