natural wonder
Creux du Van
A vast natural rock amphitheatre with vertical 160m cliffs, a wild ridge-walk in the Jura.
16 km · about 20 min drive
EuropeSwitzerlandNeuchâtel
Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel, Switzerland · Europe
About Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel is worth a stop: 10 minutes from Auvernier, 16km from Creux du Van.
Neuchâtel is in Switzerland, with about 33,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Auvernier, about 4 km away.
Neuchâtel (UK: , US: ; French: [nøʃɑtɛl] ; German: Neuenburg [ˈnɔʏənbʊrɡ] ) is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel. Since the fusion in 2021 of the municipalities of Neuchâtel, Corcelles-Cormondrèche, Peseux, and Valangin, the city has approximately 45,000Read more
inhabitants (86,000 in the metropolitan area). The city is sometimes referred to historically by the German name Neuenburg; both the French and German names mean 'New Castle'.
The castle after which the city is named was built by Rudolph III of Burgundy and completed in 1011. Originally part of the Kingdom of Burgundy, the city was absorbed into the Holy Roman Empire in 1033. The domain of the counts of Neuchâtel was first referred to as a city in 1214. The city came under Prussian control from 1707 until 1848, with an interruption during the Napoleonic Wars from 1806 to 1814. In 1848, Neuchâtel became a republic and a canton of Switzerland.
Neuchâtel is a centre of the Swiss watch industry, the site of micro-technology and high-tech industries, and home to research centres and organizations such as the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), and Philip Morris International's Cube.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Neuchâtel?
Within an hour or so of Neuchâtel: Creux du Van (16 km), Circuit Bremgarten (37 km), Bern Old Town (39 km), Kaufdorf VW Beetle Graveyard (39 km).
Are there any good drives near Neuchâtel?
The nearest famous roads are Circuit Bremgarten, Gurnigel Pass and Jaun Pass.
Where is Neuchâtel?
Neuchâtel is in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, about 4 km from Auvernier.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 33,475
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Switzerland
- Region
- Neuchâtel
- Timezone
- Europe/Zurich
- Coordinates
- 46.9918, 6.9310
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in Switzerland
Motorway vignette (toll sticker) required: buy at the border or online. Roadside assistance (TCS): 140.
Full driving guide for SwitzerlandTags
Worth the detour from Neuchâtel
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
historic highway
Circuit Bremgarten
The 7.3km forest circuit outside Bern where racing ended after Switzerland banned circuit motorsport in 1955. Its dappled, constantly curving roads through the Bremgartenwald are open to traffic and eerily unchanged.
37 km · about 40 min drive
landmark
Bern Old Town
Switzerland's UNESCO-listed capital, a medieval gem with 6 kilometres of arcaded walkways, the Zytglogge clock tower, and bear park.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Kaufdorf VW Beetle Graveyard
Atmospheric forest clearing filled with rusting classic Volkswagen Beetles, a pilgrimage site for VW enthusiasts.
39 km · about 45 min drive
landmark
Gruyères
Car-free hilltop town of a single cobbled street rising to a 13th-century castle amid cheese country, with the surreal twist of the H.R. Giger Museum and its Alien-themed bar inside Château St. Germain.
47 km · about 55 min drive
mountain pass
Gurnigel Pass
A quiet ridge road in the Bernese Prealps with a long panorama over the Stockhorn chain.
49 km · about 55 min drive
mountain pass
Jaun Pass
A friendly pass linking the Gruyère region to the Simmental, open all year and lined with chalet villages.
54 km · about 65 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Lavaux Vineyard Terraces
UNESCO-listed terraced vineyards cascading down to Lake Geneva, cultivated since the 11th century with spectacular views of the Alps.
58 km · about 65 min drive
Driving roads near Neuchâtel
- 37 kmCircuit BremgartenThe 7.3km forest circuit outside Bern where racing ended after Switzerland banned circuit motorsport in 1955. Its dappled, constantly curving roads through the Bremgartenwald are open to traffic and eerily unchanged.
- 49 kmGurnigel PassA quiet ridge road in the Bernese Prealps with a long panorama over the Stockhorn chain.
- 54 kmJaun PassA friendly pass linking the Gruyère region to the Simmental, open all year and lined with chalet villages.
- 58 kmLavaux Vineyard TerracesUNESCO-listed terraced vineyards cascading down to Lake Geneva, cultivated since the 11th century with spectacular views of the Alps.
- 74 kmCol du PillonA 1,546 m pass in the Vaud Alps between Les Diablerets and Gstaad, the gateway to the Glacier 3000 cable car and a smooth, scenic link on any western Swiss Alps road trip.
- 77 kmRoute des Grandes AlpesFrance's ultimate driving route: ~700 km from Lake Geneva to the Riviera over 16 great alpine cols including Iseran and Galibier. Pin marks the traditional start at Thonon-les-Bains.
Driving in Switzerland
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.82/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
- Vignette
- Required, around €42 for a short-stay sticker
When to drive here
April to October
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