The tranquil village of Estavayer-le-Lac has a large harbour on Lake Neuchâtel, where our charter company is based. Communication is one of those things in Switzerland, especially in the travelled area, because the language and cantonal borders run through the Three Lakes region. Our starting point is in the canton of Fribourg. Here, Swiss German alternates with French, sometimes in every village. On arrival at Nasta Marine, Monika Carrard gives us a very friendly welcome in German, although French is the dominant language on the road. People are flexible in the region.
The perfectly maintained Linssen Grand Sturdy 36.9 AC is quickly taken over with the precision typical of the country. Nothing stands in the way of our departure for Neuchâtel. However, we should not miss out on an extensive tour of the pretty town. So we first set off to explore the town. There is an idyllic medieval old town with the imposing 14th century Chenaux Castle. We stop for a quick bite to eat in one of the restaurants and enjoy a sandwich with a marvellous view of the historic buildings in the alleyways. Back in the harbour, we are told that all the berths in the Jeunes Rives town harbour are taken. We are told to head for the jetty next to the petrol station in the neighbouring port of Nid du Crô.
That's what we do. A berth is free and the walk into the town centre only takes a few minutes longer. After passing a large shopping centre right next to the marina, we inevitably come across the supposedly full harbour. To our astonishment, almost all the guest berths are free. Perhaps the yachts that were moored there are already on their way back to their home harbour. Longer stays are not the rule in this area. Unfortunately, the sanitary facilities at our berth are not very attractive and the showers are locked, but we are well looked after on the Linssen. We learnt to appreciate this several times during the trip
Need more information? You can find the travel report on the Swiss Jura lakes with more pictures and a service section in BOOTE issue 10/2018 or online at Delius Klasing Shop.
Neuchâtel is the capital of the canton of the same name and lies directly at the foot of the Jura mountains, which stretch along the entire western shores of Lake Neuchâtel and Lake Biel. There is much to discover in the regional metropolis. First mentioned in 1011, the town can look back on a long history. The medieval centre with its castle and collegiate church, both dating from the 12th century, are well worth a visit. If you want an overview of the entire lake, you can make your way to the viewing tower at the top station of the cable car to Mount Chaumont to enjoy the breathtaking panorama. On a clear day, you can also see some of the major Alpine peaks, such as Mont Blanc, from here.
Visitors will find plenty of culinary delights in the old town centre. There are numerous restaurants around the market square with the Fontaine du Banneret, offering everything from French-influenced cuisine to typical local cheese fondue. We favour one of the open-air restaurants right on the lakeshore and enjoy a large portion of the national dish "Filet de Perche", also known as "Eglifilet", which is nothing more than perch.
The next morning we wake up to bright sunshine. The journey to Grandson will take us along the entire west bank. A detour to Hautrive, a few kilometres to the north, with a visit to the Laténium (www.latenium.ch) is very attractive, but would take another day, as the largest archaeological museum in Switzerland presents 50,000 years of regional history with countless exhibits. Just five kilometres after casting off, we pass the Port d'Auvernier. Here there is an automatic compressor station (www.airstation.ch) for filling scuba tanks. After all, there are also attractive destinations below the surface of the lake. However, if you want to see or experience everything, you need to plan more time than the week we have available.
We enjoy the sunny trip along the vineyards and are pleased that our destination harbour of Grandson in the canton of Vaud is well prepared for guests. On the outside of the old pier, there are 16 guest berths on jetties and the harbour wall with buoys. On arrival, the harbour master assigns us a place on the jetty with electricity. This is only available for guests in a few harbours. The sanitary facilities are exemplary. The marina is right next to the railway station. Yverdon-les-Bains can be reached in a few minutes by train, which is not possible by boat due to the lack of moorings. The trains are easy to hear. However, there is hardly any traffic at night.
The village is one of the oldest settlements in the region. This is evidenced by the discovery of a menhir, also known as a "menhir stone", which points to a cult site from the Neolithic period, as well as numerous finds of the remains of pile dwellings from the Stone and Bronze Ages. The present-day settlement was built at around the same time as Neuchâtel. Grandson Castle, now a popular tourist destination, was first mentioned in 1050. Benedictine and Franciscan monks characterised the village in the Middle Ages. In addition to the castle, the historic centre with its winding alleyways is well worth a visit.
Our destination the next day has a completely different character and is located on the eastern shore of the lake. It's Sunday, so we set off early. There aren't many guest moorings in Gletterens that we can approach with our relatively large yacht. With the flawless weather, we should allow for high demand at weekends. The place is a dream destination for water rats and nature lovers. In the beautiful harbour along a canal, the boats are moored right next to the adjacent reeds. The jetty at the entrance is intended for guests. Right next to it is a large sandy beach, which naturally attracts more than just boat tourists. Even from a distance, you can see that there are plenty of visitors. We are lucky and get the last spot.
After a brief look round, we almost have the impression of being in the South Seas. White sandy beach on the shore and bright turquoise-coloured water on the lake. Many boaters drift along here. On the eastern shore in particular, with its sandy bottom extending far into the water, there are numerous anchorages where you can stop for a swim or even spend the night. Only if there is a threat of strong winds or thunderstorms should you head for a harbour. Not every inland waterway has so many anchorages with beautiful scenery. This is one of the special features of the area. The harbour of Gletterens is a new building that was completed in 2010.
The town itself is a holiday resort with little to offer. Nevertheless, the reconstructed Neolithic pile-dwelling village "Village Lacustre de Gletterens" (www.village-lacustre.ch) is an exciting destination to explore. Although it is a tourist centre, gastronomy is a rarity. You need to be prepared for this. There is a pizzeria near the pile dwellings, which we head for for dinner. Unfortunately, when we arrive, we realise that it is closed from 6 pm. Fortunately, we have brought our own provisions. In the meantime, all the visitors have disappeared and we are all alone on the jetty. The Swiss have to go back to work on Mondays.
Our next destination is a completely different kind of attraction in Lake Biel, St Peter's Island. Here we enter the canton of Bern, where Swiss German is the dominant language. We first have to pass through the Canal de la Thielle. On the eastern side of the northern tip, the small Port Rousseau awaits guests right next to the former Cluniac monastery, which now serves as a luxury hotel and stands next to the island farmer's farm. There is only one berth for boats of our size, which is easy to approach thanks to the bow and stern thruster of the Grand Sturdy. As the name of the harbour makes it easy to recognise, the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau was already a visitor here; even Goethe spent some time here.
There is not much going on during our visit. The tour is quickly completed, but could be extended with a hike across the almost two square kilometre island, which forms a nature reserve, if required. We are already looking forward to the barbecue by the campfire right by the jetty, which we plan for the evening, as there are a few fixed fire pits with tables and benches right in front of the jetty. However, in the late afternoon it starts to rain heavily, which puts a spanner in the works. The galley is used again.
Biel is on the list of places to visit the next day. Just a few kilometres after setting sail, the harbour is in sight. The harbour is not as tranquil as the island's nature reserve. Guest berths for larger yachts are only available on the west side behind the entrance. As is so often the case, there is no power supply. The harbour masters are also often scarce in this area. Sometimes there is a letterbox asking you to pay the moderate fees. With a good 50,000 inhabitants, Biel is the largest town that can be visited in the Three Lakes Region. The old town centre is of course worth seeing. However, it is a few kilometres away from the harbour.
We pass a thriving city centre with numerous shopping opportunities. If shopping is on your agenda, this is the place to be. Biel is the centre of the watch industry. In addition to the headquarters of the Swatch Group and Rolex production, many well-known brands are based here. This brings noticeable money into the city. Biel also has a long history, which is documented by artefacts from pile dwellings dating back at least 5000 years. The very well-preserved old town, which is criss-crossed by streams and dates from the 15th to 18th centuries, is mainly home to small businesses such as butchers, bakers and restaurants. The centre is formed by the spacious Burgplatz square with the Fountain of Justice, from which several alleyways branch off.
At the end of our exploratory trip, a visit to Murten is on the agenda. To do this, we sail along the western slopes of Lake Biel, which are also dotted with vines, back through the canal into Lake Neuchâtel and then take the Canal de la Broye in the north-east to the more manageable Lake Murten. There are only four guest berths in the picturesque marina. When we arrive, none of them are occupied, but it turns out that our Linssen just fits between the dolphins of a single berth, the others are too narrow. We were lucky. The marina is obviously not prepared for yachts of this size. At least there is electricity.
Need more information? You can find the travel report on the Swiss Jura lakes with more pictures and a service section in BOOTE issue 10/2018 or online at Delius Klasing Shop.
The picturesque old town with its well-preserved fortification wall and watchtowers from the Middle Ages is just a few steps away from the harbour. Most of the buildings around the main street with the Berntor gate date back to the 17th or 18th century and are in excellent condition. There are restaurants and cafés everywhere, inviting you to linger. A walk along the battlements of the ring wall, which was built in 1238 and extended several times, offers an excellent view of the historic centre of Murten. After a sunny excursion in this marvellous setting, the only thing left to do the next day is to return to the charter base in Estavayer-le-Lac with fond memories of a very varied cruise including a multitude of highlights.
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