Neuchâtel — Travelrags

The GuardianAug 17, 2026

Away with the ferries: exploring Switzerland’s forgotten lake district by boat

The Jura and Three Lakes region is often overlooked by visitors, but on a lake-hopping adventure I discovered its gentle beauty as well as great food and wine The ferry cuts across the waters of Lake Biel, creating soft ripples, as if someone has taken a brushstroke to a blue canvas. To starboard, as we approach St Peter’s Island, are gentle mountains; to port side, lie golden fields. Straight…

17 things in this story

Lake NeuchâtelSightLake Neuchâtel lies primarily in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland.
Broye canalSightConnects Lake Neuchâtel to Lake Murten.
Elsewhere
Lake BielSightBiel/Bienne, SwitzerlandFringed by tidy vineyards and linked by canals.
St Peter’s IslandSightBiel/Bienne, SwitzerlandRousseau, Dumas, and Goethe stayed on this peninsula.
Jura MountainsSightBiel/Bienne, SwitzerlandHome to the country’s gentlest summits.
Hotel St PetersinselHotelBiel/Bienne, SwitzerlandHoused in a monastery dating back to 1127.
Andrey SchafisRestaurantLigerz, SwitzerlandFifth-generation family cellar overlooking the water.
VinifuniPlaceLigerz, SwitzerlandShort, steep funicular through vineyards in Ligerz.
ChasseralSightPrêles, SwitzerlandJura’s flat-topped mountain, near Prêles.
Hôtel de l’Ours PrêlesHotelPrêles, SwitzerlandFamily-run hotel sitting high above the lake.
BLZ beerRestaurantPrêles, SwitzerlandA cold beer from nearby Orvin.
Zihr canalSightBiel/Bienne, SwitzerlandConnects Lake Biel to Lake Neuchâtel.
La Grande CariçaieSightMurten, SwitzerlandThe country’s largest marshland.
Lake MurtenSightMurten, Switzerland
zander with lemon risotto and summer tomatoes with burrataRestaurantBiel/Bienne, Switzerland
St Michael’s ChapelSightLigerz, Switzerland
entrecôte steak and profiterolesRestaurantPrêles, Switzerland

Read the full piece at The Guardian →