Neuchâtel Canton - Maps & Guide

Welcome to the map and guide of the cities, towns or places of interest around Neuchâtel Canton in Switzerland. Here you will find virtual tours and guides with 360° panoramas of various destinations linked to various Neuchâtel Canton maps.

Alongside each virtual tour and panorama is a Google map and some local and travel information to help you explore plan and your trip to Neuchâtel Canton and Switzerland. This growing guide of Neuchâtel Canton uses images and information provided by independent travellers, giving you the fuller picture of the various sights, hotels and attractions in Switzerland.

Neuchâtel Canton - Featured Destinations

Neuchâtel Canton - Travel & Information

Part of French speaking western Switzerland in the Romandy region, the Canton of Neuchâtel shares internal borders with the cantons of Bern and Jura to the northeast and Vaud to the southwest. Along the southern edge the canton borders Lake Neuchâtel. It shares international borders with France along the northwestern border. While the capital city is Neuchâtel, the largest city in the canton is La Chaux-de-Fonds.

Located in the central Jura Mountains, Neuchâtel can be divided into three regions. Along the edges of Lake Neuchâtel lies the viticultural region, well known for wine production and vineyards. Further north lies Les Vallées in which are found Ruz Valley and the Val de Travers, the largest valleys in the canton. Finally there are the Neuchâtelois Mountains in which La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle and La Brévine are found in a long valley.

Economically, Neuchâtel is well known for wine and absinthe production, which was first produced locally in Val-de-Travers, and for fine horse breeding. The region is also famous for watch making. Tourism is a growing part of the economy, with a number of UNESCO World Heritage sites, picturesque towns and plenty of mountains offering mountain sports and skiiing.

Canton of Neuchâtel - Travel and Tourism

Neuchâtel Canton has much to offer visitors. The valleys are full of picturesque villages and towns, some famous for wine making or watch making. The mountains offer plenty of opportunity for mountain biking, hiking, climbing and other sports in the summer, with skiing and snow boarding in the winter. Some of the key places of interest and attractions include:

• Old town of Neuchâtel - buildings made of yellow stone along narrow, Medieval streets with a central Market Place and famous Maison des Halles, Banneret fountain and Palais DuPeyrou.
• Le Landeron - old, fortified market town built on a marsh which almost collapesed in the 14th century.
• Hamlet of Combes - near to Le Landeron with a little chapel built along the lines of the Golden Ratio offering good views over Le Landeron
• Le Locle - famous for watch making for over 300 years and registered Unesco World Heritage Site. The history of watchmaking is summed up in the Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle, Monts Castle, located in a 19th century country manor on a hill north of the city.
La Chaux-de-Fonds - founded in 1656 in the Jura Mountains, the city is famous for watch making and a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the Musée International d'Horlogerie (International Museum of Watch Making) and many fine historic buildings.
• Laténium in Hauterive - found just east of Neuchâtel, this park and museum contains a history of the Pile lake dwellings villages of Lake Neuchâtel, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Underground Mills of Le Locle - built in a cave near le Locle, these mills provided power for the watchmaking industry.
• Asphalt Mines in Val de Travers - historic mines for over 100 years, now disused by open to the public as an industrial museum.
• Bois du Petit-Château - found in La Chaux-de-Fonds, this popular zoo contains a museum of natural history, Vivarium and other animal enclosures.
• Creux du Van - a natural rocky cirque of approximately 1,400m wide and 150m deep in Val de Travers. It is home to introduced ibex and has stunning views of the surrounding area.
• Saut-du-Doubs - beautiful lake with picturesque waterfalls and boat tours in the summer months.
• Lac des Taillères - glacial lake in the la Brévine valley, popular year round and especially for ice-skating when frozen in the winter months.
• Neuchâtel Botanical Gardens - found in Vallon de l'Ermitage above Neuchâtel city center considered a great place to relax and full of various different plants.
• Chaumont - mountain peak home to the Panorama Tower which offers stunning views of the three Jura Lakes, Neuenburg Lake, Lake Murten and Lake Biel.