Creux du Van – Natural Spectacle

"Creux du Van", a natural rock arena of immense proportions, is located at the border of the cantons of Neuenburg and Vaud. Impressive 160 meter high vertical rock faces surround a four kilometer long and over one kilometer wide valley basin.

First the glaciers, then the brooks have shaped the breathtaking rock formation from the 200 million year old lime deposits of a prehistoric ocean. The steep rock faces afford detailed insight into the geology of the Jurassic folding.

The regional climate of the "Creux du Van" is exceptional and unusual - there are forests and arctic-alpine flora in the rock arena. Chamois, ibex, lynx and numerous other wild animals inhabit the pristine natural landscape, which is protected through the existence of a 25 square kilometer nature reserve. A spring, the "Fontaine Froide", has its source in the middle of a sinkhole. This spring's water is four degrees Celsius throughout the year.

Another natural wonder in the immediate vicinity is the Areuse Gorge between Noiraigue and Boudry. An adventurous hiking path with countless steps and bridges gives hikers a good view of this natural spectacle.

Source: myswitzerland.com