Creux du Van

The Creux du Van is a natural rocky cirque approximately 1,400 metres wide and 150 metres deep, on the north side of Le Soliat.[1] It is located in the Val de Travers district, in the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel. A very well known, amphitheatre-shaped natural attraction of the area, it is located at the heart of a nature reservation area of 15.5 km².

Geology

See cirque for a description of the process forming features like this.

Attraction

Ibex were introduced in the area in 1965. As of 2009, there are 17.

Access

The summit area can be reached on foot or by car. A paved road from Saint-Aubin-Sauges (on Lake Neuchâtel) or Couvet (Val-de-Travers) climbs to la ferme du Soliat (1,382 m), which is located a few minutes walk away from the summit of the rocky cirque. Some hiking paths are indicated, via les petites Fauconnières.

Notable trails in the areas include:

  • Le sentier des quatorze contours (the path of the 14 bends) is a reputed itinerary that starts in Noiraigue (Val-de-Travers).
  • Le sentier du Single leads to the summit directly from the area called La ferme Robert.
  • Other paths, however unmarked, allow the access to the summit via la crête du Dos d'Ane or also from la Fontaine Froide via le Pertuis de Bise (a breach into the wall of rocks).

Panorama
Panoramic view from the top

References

Notes
  1. Creux du Van (1:25,000) (Map). Swisstopo. Retrieved 2015-02-08.

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