Lac du Joux

Posted by Anura Samara, 18 August 2014

As part of our ongoing commitment to spend more time discovering the country we call ‘home’, we took the train across to Lac du Joux. Well, not one train but several but anyway…

Lac du Joux is the larger of two lakes up in the Jura Mountains. We stayed in a small, Swiss hotel right on the edge of the lake. Swiss hospitality out of Geneva is surprisingly good – surprising in the sense that in Geneva it feels like the large expat community is tolerated (more income, but impacts on the local) while out in the ‘sticks’ Swiss people seem to be somehow more genuine. According to Wikipedia, Lac du Joux is the largest Swiss lake above 1,000 metres.

The hotel has a few bikes that we could hire to ride around the lake. The lake is well served with footpaths with lots of people out for a stroll, and riding on the roads was peaceful. It gave us an opportunity to explore some of the small villages around the lake. The north-western edge of the lake is mostly through forests, with some stretches across bumpy tracks with higher views of the lake. If we hadn’t stopped for lunch, then you would have to say that the ride is only 2-3 hours with the walk possibly taking up to half a day – either is easily accomplished on a sunny day.

It was quiet on Saturday when we rode the bikes, but on Sunday it really came alive. Clearly, this is a favourite destination for motorbike rides as every cafe was practically full. I can see the point – in less than an hour you can find a place that seems to be miles away from the stress of everyday life.

Categories: Switzerland