Tags
easy hike near Geneva, gorge de l'Areuse, gorge hike, hikes near geneva, hiking around Neuchâtel
The AIWC’s Friday morning walking group actively explores Geneva’s countryside. In the summer months, the group likes to venture forth into the wilds of neighboring France, Vaud and Neuchâtel. This past week we hopped on the 7:15 train to Noiraigue above the city of Neuchâtel for a fabulous 3 1/4 hour hike down the Gorge de l’Areuse.
This easy, downhill hike is absolutely stunning with it’s mossy forest canopy, imposing cliffs and fairytale stone bridges and the enormous boulders in the river are remnants of once roaring rapids. Yet in spite of the obvious human touch of stairs and carved paths, one is enchanted by a feeling of remoteness. In fact, our hiking leader once saw fighting chamoix (wild mountain goats) just five meters off the path on the cliff wall across the river.
Based on the experience of our hikers. We recommend one of the following two ways to do this trail.
- Take the 1h48m trip by train to Noiraigue (which is the staging point of several popular hikes and biking trails). Follow the walking signs to Bôle. The website My Switzerland recommends finishing at Boudry but several of our walkers have been disappointed with this end point.
- Alternatively, you can drive to the train station of Bôle or Boudry and take the train up to the starting point in Noiraigue and walk back to your car.
Just one more thing, I recommend bringing hiking poles on the walk. Because of the previous night’s thunderstorms the hard-pack trail was quite slippery in spots.
We are a group of international women living in Geneva, Switzerland. If you would like to join the AIWC, please visit our website at http://www.aiwcgeneva.org/
Living In Geneva 
Wow, this looks like an outstanding hike and is definitely on my list now. Obviously, you picked a good time of year. What do you think of attempting this in later September or October?
Hi suzanne! I think this walk would be lovely into autumn. Can you imagine the color of the trees mid-October? As I mention, though, when the path is damp the rocks in the hard packed trail become slippery. You need poles or you could walk up the gorge rather than down.