The Nozon Gorges

Parking is available in the car park between the football pitch and the village hall in Croy, Rue le Praz-Amiet.

(S/E) Take the tarmac track to the left of the football pitch, follow it to Rue des Fontaines and turn left.

(1) At the next junction, turn left again onto the road leading downhill called Chemin de la Foule, and follow it to the sewage treatment plant.

(2) Continue left along the path running alongside Le Nozon, marked with yellow signs. Go round the waterfall site then turn left to reach it.

(3) Retrace your steps and continue along the path that follows the river, crossing it twice.

(4) Cross a footbridge and continue to the right along the river towards “Pompaples via the station”; after about 400 m, you’ll reach a bridge which you do not cross (intersection with yellow markings). Continue along the left bank of the river towards “Pompaples” until you reach the village.

(5) Take the steps leading up to Rue du Four and turn right towards the “administration communale” building with a bell tower on the roof. On the main road, turn right and stay on this road until the next village, 1 km away, keeping to the pavement. On arrival, you will see La Sarraz Castle. At the village entrance, at the roundabout, follow the signs to the right towards Lausanne, go 60 m and turn right at a metal gate onto a staircase leading to the front of the castle.

(6) Turn left onto Rue du Château and follow it. Once on Grand Rue, you will see the yellow markings again. Turn right onto the road signposted "Romainmôtier 2 h", cross the bridge, pass the Coop on your left and the church. Then turn right, walking past a second church.

(7) At the swimming pool, head towards "Croy / St Loup", turn left onto the Sentier de Saint-Loup and follow it, making sure to keep heading in the same direction until you reach the Hôpital Saint-Loup.

(8) After the large hospital car park, take the path on the left marked in yellow. Follow it to a junction with yellow signs.

(9) Turn left onto the path leading uphill, signposted Romainmôtier 1h 30. At the Chêne Rond refuge (wooden hut and tables), turn right following the yellow markings and continue to a road.

(10) Follow it to the right, pass the car park and, at the bend, continue to the right along the yellow-marked path for about 300 m until you reach a junction.

(11) Turn right onto the unmarked path to pass the old Carrière Jaune and continue left to rejoin the marked path. Arrive at Les Fours de Ferreyes on the left (iron furnace, hut with information).

::12: Continue north-west until you reach a junction with yellow signs.

(13) Turn right towards "Croy direct". Further on, turn left to climb up to the engraved stone "Les Gottettes".

(14) Head back down the path and turn left. Follow the yellow markings for about 1 km until you reach Le Nozon.

(15) Head left towards Romainmôtier via the Chemin de Praël, continue to the farm with a horse riding arena and turn left onto the Chemin du Boleron. From there, you’ll have a view of the abbey church and the fortified priory. Follow the road to reach the abbey.

(16) After a visit to the site, turn right back onto Chemin de Praël and head in the opposite direction until you reach the fork.

(15) Cross the bridge and take the path on the right which follows the pleasant stream with its wash houses and leads you back onto the
Chemin de la Foule.

(1) Keep left and follow the path back the way you came to return to the football ground car park (S/E).

La Sarraz Castle was built in 1049 on a rocky outcrop. Unlike most other castles, it has always been the residence of the Barons of La Sarraz and never changed hands until the death of the last chatelaine in 1948.

La Sarraz: here you will find the Horse Museum, established in 1982 by horse lovers keen to preserve for future generations the memory of man’s noblest conquest,

Romainmôtier is the oldest monastery in Switzerland. It was founded in the mid-5th century. It was restored in the 7th century under the influence of the Irish movement of Saint Columbanus before being taken over by Cluny Abbey in the 10th century. The former abbey church of Romainmôtier, Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul, is now a Protestant church; it was Catholic until 1536 and has been Protestant since then.