Attractions and Places To See around Grand'Combe-Châteleu - Top 20

For hotel guests, a boat trip to the waterfalls and back is free ... otherwise the one-way trip costs 9 sfr

Full of fountains

Lac des Brenets is nestled in the Jura massif, overlooked by wooded cliffs. The lake consists of three basins, ending with the impressive Saut de Doubs.

Absinthe! Try this high-quality drink with its great history!

In autumn and late summer the lake tends to dry out. The waterfall then also has no water.

History of the village of Mostier - Moustier - Môtiers Môtiers: from the Latin monasteries, meaning church or monastery. The foundation of Môtiers merges with the foundation of the priory of St-Pierre, probably in the 10th century in a still sparsely populated Val-de-Travers. The village developed around the monastery, then rich and powerful. At the beginning of the 14th century, the Counts of Neuchâtel were the rulers of Val-de-Travers and were represented by lords. The castle, first mentioned in 1344, became their residence. At the beginning of the 16th century, the construction of an inn and the famous "town house" began: it is the Hotel des Six-Communes. The building, as it can still be admired, dates from around 1590. Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed there from 1762 to 1765, but his disputes with the pastor of Montmollin forced the philosopher to leave Môtiers for the Ile Saint-Pierre. The 19th century left the capital a little distant from the industrial development of the rest of the district. There are a few small watch factories, a few absinthe distilleries and a company still present in the priory buildings that produces sparkling wines using the champagne method. In 1987, the municipality developed a policy to protect its architectural heritage. The character of the village and the quality of its cultural and artistic life make Môtiers a place appreciated by visitors. Text / Source: Val de Travers, Rue du Temple 8, 2114 Fleurier https://www.val-de-travers.ch/page/motiers#:~:text=Histoire%20du%20village%20de%20Mostier%20-%20Moustier%20-,d%C3%A9veloppe%20autour%20du %20monast%C3%A8re%2C%20alors%20riche%20et%20puissant.

Bitumen Bitumen (Latin pix tumens, "sweating pitch", "earth pitch", "grave pitch") is (according to DIN EN 12597) the name for the dark-colored, semi-solid to hard, sticky hydrocarbon mixtures obtained during the gentle processing of petroleum. It is also present in natural asphalt. Due to its low content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), bitumen has replaced the previously used coal tar and is now used for the same purpose, primarily in road construction and for sealing work. Bitumen is a colloidal system made up of a dispersant, the maltenes, and the asphaltenes and petroleum resins dispersed in it. Text / Source: Wikipedia https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitumen

Les Mines d'asphalte du Val-de-Travers In 1711, the first modern scientist specializing in the field of asphalt, the Greek doctor Eirini d'Eyrinys, identified the first deposits on the northern anticline of Val-de-Travers. Initially interested in the therapeutic effects of this material, he laid the foundations for its modern use in his "Dissertation sur l'asphalt ou ciment naturel". The first mine was open-pit and it seems well established that exploitation only concerned the Combe-Vaubayon deposit until 1812. The documents available do not agree on the exact date (around 1830) when the La Presta deposit on the southern slope of the valley would have started to be exploited. After passing through various hands, the mine became the property of an English company, the "Neuchâtel Asphalte Company Ltd.", in 1873. It should be noted that asphalt, like salt, is subject to royal law and that in 1873 the latter charged a sum of around CHF 5 per tonne (around CHF 15 per tonne in 1986). Around 1960, NACO Ltd. was taken over by one of the most powerful road companies in Europe, the British company Tarmac. The asphalt mines of Presta were thus used artisanally and then industrially from 1712 to 1986 before being opened to the public. Text / Source: Les Mines d'asphalte du Val-de-Travers https://www.mines-asphalte.ch/a-propos/