Les meilleurs hôtels à Neuchâtel

Switzerland's population is packed into only a third of the country, since the other two-thirds is too harsh to live in. Geographically, spreading from the Northwest to the Southeast, the country can be broken into three parts: the Jura, the Swiss Plateau and the Alps. Geology decides where you live and where you play and how you earn a living. Neuch?tel and its environs are in the west, in the Jura, which is mostly farming and grazing country. The hills are home to pastures while the land surrounding Lake Neuch?tel supports orchards and vineyards. Neuch?tel is a quiet university town with an old world feel. The "Old Town" is off limits to cars. You can walk its cobbled streets and surround yourself in 17th century architecture. Add the fact that Neuch?tel sits on the shores of the big lake and you see how the lull of this quiet town can pull you in. If it's architectural wonders you're after, the village of La Chaux-de-Fonds is certainly worth a visit. It was home to Le Corbusier, the famous architect. It is a geometrical city of perpendicular streets -- "The breeding ground of Art Nouveau, this urban agglomeration of the 19th century is the most representative of Switzerland," say its boosters. The village is also home to the International Watch Museum, which celebrates the country's passion, and perhaps obsession, with precision timing. When you visit Neuch?tel, we suggest you toss aside your watch. You should feel as if you can take all the time in the world to wander through the Canton's small villages, peaceful vineyards and abundant hills. You'd never guess you're just 85 miles from bustling Geneva.