Urban landscape and watchmaking industry

Overview

Hint

La Chaux-de-Fonds

Jura & Three-Lakes
Contact

Tourisme neuchâtelois
Espacité 1
2300 La Chaux-de-Fonds
Phone +41 (0)32 889 68 95
neuchateltourisme.ch

Intro

La Chaux-de-Fonds is like no other town. Located at an altitude of 1,000 metres and arranged as regularly as a chequerboard, the town is a fascinating blend of good urban planning and watch-making industry, which is why it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

La Chaux-de-Fonds symbolises the strategic alliance between urban development and the watchmaking industry. The town was designed by and built for watchmakers. The town’s buildings bear witness to a history of local craftsmanship and industry, as well as to the close links between watchmaking tradition and town planning.

Visitors can take a guided tour to find out more about this highly unusual town and its urban development. The Espacité tower provides the perfect opportunity to admire the town’s unique chequerboard layout from a height. The glazed viewing platform on the 14th floor allows an unobstructed view of the impressive townscape which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The former riding school in the heart of the town is an astonishing architectural jewel. Visitors entering the superb 19th-century inner courtyard will be rewarded with the sight of frescoes, friezes and little fountains. And no visit to La Chaux-de-Fonds should leave out the International Museum of Horology. An important centre of Art Nouveau, the watchmaking metropolis is also the birthplace of the architect Le Corbusier.

Thanks to La Chaux-de-Fonds’ exceptional setting, cultural discoveries can be ideally combined with walks in green areas such as the Parc des Crêtets, and excursions into the surrounding natural amenities.

You can also visit La Chaux-de-Fonds by taking the tourist train: Further information and the tourist train offer