The Saut du Doubs is a 27 m waterfall on the French-Swiss border, at the far end of Lac des Brenets. You can reach it by boat through the gorges or on foot along a trail that follows the river between forest and cliffs.
Waterfalls & cascades
Saut du Doubs
Main highlights
- A 27 m waterfall, the highest in the Jura Mountains, on the French-Swiss border
- A cruise through the gorges between 80 m limestone cliffs from Les Brenets
- A footbridge and three viewpoints to see the falls from both the Swiss and French sides
Overview
The Saut du Doubs is a 27 m waterfall on the border between France and Switzerland, in the Jura Mountains. It lies at the eastern end of Lac des Brenets, known as Lac de Chaillexon on the French side.
The site was formed around 12,000 years ago when both sides of the valley collapsed, probably triggered by an earthquake. This natural dam flooded the gorges upstream. The waterfall appeared when the Doubs was able to flow around the rockfall. Because the dam is not watertight, the lake level sometimes varies by more than 20 m.
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What to see and do
The boat cruise leaves from the port of Les Brenets and takes about twenty minutes to travel through the Doubs gorges. The river winds in wide meanders between cliffs up to 80 m high. The captain points out sights visible only from the lake : the Grotte du Roi de Prusse, or Grotte de la Toffière, and the Tête de Calvin, a rock formation.
On arrival, the water tumbles 27 m down the falls between rock and greenery. Its flow depends on the river. A pedestrian footbridge crosses the Doubs into France. Three viewpoints offer different perspectives, two on the French side and one on the Swiss side.
The trail from Les Brenets follows the river between a forest of fir and broadleaf trees and rock faces, with views of the Doubs through the trees. The scenery is especially colourful in autumn.
Practical information
Getting there : Les Brenets is in the west of the canton of Neuchâtel, near the French border. Parking below the village, above the port.
By boat : 20-minute crossing with Navigation sur le lac des Brenets, then a 10-minute walk from the landing stage.
On foot : about 50 minutes from Les Brenets station on a waymarked, flat trail suitable for all-terrain pushchairs.
On site : restaurants and snack bars on both the Swiss and French sides.
Visiting tips
Walk one way and take the boat the other to see the site from two angles. Bring your ID documents to cross to the French side : the upper viewpoint there offers the best view of the falls.
The waterfall is more powerful after rainy spells and weaker during dry periods. In winter, the frozen lake can become a natural ice rink.
Nearby
- The Col-des-Roches Underground Mills in Le Locle house old hydraulic machinery in galleries carved into the rock.
- The Le Locle Watch Museum showcases movements, complications and rare pieces from Le Locle’s watchmaking history.
- The Le Locle Museum of Fine Arts brings together fine arts, graphic arts and contemporary works by regional and European artists.
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