Areuse Gorges

Hike from Chambrelien, passing through Champ du Moulin and following the Gorges de l'Areuse trail, with several views of Lake Neuchâtel. You will follow the blue trail, where you may spot chamois, then the gorge trail to admire the waterfalls.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.10 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 324 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 332 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 704 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 537 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Meet at Chambrelien station. Park in the car park.

The footpaths in Switzerland are very well marked with yellow signs and yellow diamond-shaped markers.

(S/E) Follow the railway line on the left towards Le Champ du Moulin, following the yellow diamond markings. Follow the trail that runs along the mountain to Champ du Moulin. After half an hour, you will come to a viewpoint offering magnificent views and the opportunity to picnic in the hut. Don't hesitate to look back to see Lake Neuchâtel. If you are lucky and keep your eyes peeled, you may spot some chamois!

(1) Continue to the edge of the forest and descend to the left along the road to Champ-du-Moulin station. Cross the railway line and follow it to a small passage with steps.

(2) Go under the railway line. Continue to the right along the road to reach a bridge.

(3) Cross it and take the Gorges de l'Areuse path immediately on your left. Follow the Areuse river, crossing from the right bank to the left bank several times. To do this, follow the yellow markings for the Sentier des Gorges de l'Areuse, then the Pont de Vert.

(4) The trail turns left onto wooden steps that lead to a bridge: cross it. Follow the Areuse River on the left bank until you reach the second bridge to return to the road. Turn left. A few hundred metres further on, leave the road and take a forest path on the left that leads to the Pont de Vert. Keep following the yellow diamond markings. Cross the bridge.

(5) After crossing the Pont de Vert, head towards Chambrelien, on the left via the stone steps. Follow the yellow markings and you will reach the Chambrelien railway station (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 679 m - Chambrelien station
  2. 1 : km 1.97 - alt. 704 m - Chamois descent
  3. 2 : km 3.72 - alt. 656 m - Tunnel under the railway line
  4. 3 : km 4.12 - alt. 623 m - At the crossroads, turn left towards the bridge - Areuse (river) - Switzerland - Tributary of Lake Neuchâtel - Areuse (river) - Switzerland - Tributary of Lake Neuchâtel - Areuse (rivière) - Suisse - Affluent du lac de Neuchâtel
  5. 4 : km 6.3 - alt. 572 m - Wooden steps on the left
  6. 5 : km 7.97 - alt. 540 m - Stone steps
  7. S/E : km 9.1 - alt. 679 m - Chambrelien station

Notes

Picnics are possible at the viewpoint between (S/E) and (1). There is a restaurant in Champ du Moulin and several wooden tables along the Gorges de l'Areuse trail.

Hiking boots are strongly recommended. Please be careful with children as much of the path runs along the side of the mountain.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 31 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
martine.bourgeois@hotmail.fr
martine.bourgeois@hotmail.fr

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful hike with the added bonus of seeing some chamois.
after the hike, a pleasant little break at Lake Neuchâtel

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User 27657114

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

superb rondo, initially on a hillside with stunning views of Lake Neuchâtel and the Alps, then at the bottom of gorges along the river. Picnic areas and fountain on the riverside section. Well worth discovering

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User 27476903

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

we met few people, but that was after the rain

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Jean-Phi25
Jean-Phi25

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Beautiful, well-shaded route
Designed with children in mind, no particular difficulties (however, please note that there is an uphill section at the end of the trail)

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User 20904613

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, fairly easy hike in the cool air from Noiraigue to Boudry with a gourmet stop at La Truite restaurant in Champ-du-Moulin. The route is well signposted and very pleasant in hot weather. Some slippery sections of the path have been made safe and, in mid-June, the path is quiet during the week.

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Elisajgs
Elisajgs

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Beautiful walk

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Sbessire
Sbessire

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great route, very well signposted and a lovely discovery! We saw chamois 👍

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Fridolar
Fridolar

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello everyone, I did the hike in May on a rainy day so there was no-one on the path! It's a very nice, well-detailed hike, the gorges are very beautiful and the path at the bottom is very slippery, but they've made a few places safe for children! Take a short break at the Hôtel des Truites and its lovely terrace! No particular difficulties!

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Belaboure
Belaboure

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The circuit in the gorges of the Areuse is a little nugget, only 10 km long but a real treat. Plenty of water in the river and beautiful waterfalls in its bed.

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Belaboure
Belaboure

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The gorges de l'Areuse circuit is quite simply a little nugget, only 10 km long but a delight. Plenty of water in the river and numerous waterfalls.

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Fridolar
Fridolar

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk, impeccable itinerary, although a little complicated for novices at some points endroits✌️

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Jean-François POINSIN
Jean-François POINSIN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

the first part should be avoided if you're uncomfortable on the narrow paths on the edge of the void, as you won't meet anyone there. The second part is very busy in fine weather, but we did it again at the end of March and didn't meet anyone. The scenery is sumptuous in fine weather. One of the most beautiful circuits I know

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xerocrete
xerocrete

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Nice hike for the 2nd time.
Nobody on the first part of the route but a good crowd on the second section.
The path from the start is pleasant but sometimes very narrow and vertiginous.
We did a variation from Champ du Moulin towards Les Moyats (electric power station),
The path was blocked off due to roadworks, so we crossed the Areuse and walked along the other bank to reach Champ du Moulin via a road on the left. The route along the Areuse is very pleasant and offers some fine views of the river. The climb back up the stone staircase - point 5 - is short but steep. Further on, we made a diversion (AR) to the "erratic stone", well hidden by trees like the signpost, and the belvedere a little further on (picnic area available and great view of the gorges). We can confirm that the end of the route lacks signs to Chambrelien station.

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PhiloNoLimits
PhiloNoLimits

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Gorges de l'Areuse trail.
Departure in the usual opposite direction, up the Areuse stream. Departure for us at 09:00 in the morning.
Either park the vehicle at Boudry train station, mind you not at Boudry Littoral but at the north-side train station.
Then about 2 to 2.5 hours' walk along the Areuse gorges heading north.
The start of the gorge is about 10 minutes' walk from the station.
Stop for lunch at the Hôtel de la Truite at Champ-du-Moulin, reservation recommended.
The trout fillets with herbs were very good, a little expensive but excellent.
Then another 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 walk to Noiraigue station.
Then return train to Boudry via Auvergnier (CHF. 6.20 single adult fare - full fare).
Approximately 1 train per hour with a single change.
Be careful in Noiraigue: there are a lot of parking spaces in the blue zone, with a maximum parking time of around 1 hour 30 minutes! And that's 7 days a week. At the end of our walk, fines were raining down on cars with parking discs or overdue parking times.
This is a magnificent and impressive route, which is also particularly suitable for hot weather, as 85% of it is in the shade in the gorges or under the trees.
Enjoy the walk!

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ran26do61
ran26do61
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The first part of the trail is wild, little used and well signposted, but personally I would advise against it with children as there is a risk of falling as the path is on a mountainside.
The second part along the river is more popular and more accessible to everyone. The end of the route lacks a little in the way of directions back to the station.
Overall, a very nice walk in the shade.

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