La Chaux-de-Fonds

By train

The is well connected with several lines in different directions:

• An hourly RE train from Berne (1h 5min)
• Two hourly RE trains from Neuchatel (30 min), one of which is the train from Berne
• Two hourly RE trains from Le Locle (8 min)
• One RE (40 min) and one R (1h) train from Biel
• A couple daily French TER trains from Besançon (1h 50min)

In addition there are regional trains from other small towns in the region.

By car

There is three main roads leading to La Chaux-de-Fonds from other Swiss cities: Road 20 from Neuchatel, road 30 from Biel and road 18 from Delemont and Basel. The closest motorway is A5, from which La Chaux-de-Fonds can be accessed either from Neuchatel or Biel. Road 20 then goes on to France in direction of Besançon.

Museums

For the museums located within the parc des musées (the first three on this list), there is a special 3 museums/3 days ticket which allows you to visit all three for the price of one. (Fr. 15/12.50)

• International museum of horology

  address: Rue des Musée 29
  Showcases more than 4500 timepieces, including 2700 watches. It also presents the history of watch making and its technical, artistic, social and economic history.

• Museum of fine arts

  address: Rue des Musées 33
  International and Swiss art from the 19th to the 21st century. Includes pieces by Modigliani, Anker, Vallotton, Hodler, Le Corbusier, Léopold Robert, Matisse, Van Gogh, Morellet, Armleder, Derain, Rouault, etc. Temporary exhibitions on modern and contemporary art.

• History museum

  address: Rue des Musées 31
  Located within a restored villa from the 19th century, this museum gives insights into what life was like in the early days of La Chaux-de-Fonds..

• Museum of agriculture and handicraft

  address: Rue des Crêtets 148
  Museum in an old farm from the 17th century, showcasing the life of the farmers and watch makers which used to life here.

• La Maison Blanche (Le Corbusier)

  address: Chemin de Pouillerel 12
  The Maison blanche was built by Le Corbusier for his parents in 1912, after he came back from his travels in the Middle East.

• Watchmaking Town Planning Exhibtion

  address: Rue Jaquet-Droz 23
  Information centre on the UNESCO heritage site La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning.

• Civilisations of Islam museum

  phone: +41 32 910 52 32
  address: Avenue Léopold-Robert 109

Visit the 'La Plage des Six Pompes' festival, a street theater festival which is held every year in the first week of August. You can also volunteer for a week. It would be good to speak reasonably French.

• La ferme des Brandt

  phone: +41 32 968 59 89
  address: Petites crosettes 6
  This restaurant in an old farmhouse outside of town serves regional dishes.

• Hotel de France

  address: Rue Daniel-Jeanrichard 46
  Simple hotel.

• Hotel Fleur-de-Lys

  phone: +41 32 913 37 31

• Le Locle, a town also part of UNESCO world heritage for watchmaking city planning, in between of the two, you will find the unique underground mills