Jura

The canton of Jura is the youngest in Switzerland: it only split from the canton of Bern in 1979, after long disputes. A trip to the Jura takes you across wide high pastures dotted with horses, to the gorges of the Doubs and into small towns that sound more like France than Zurich.

Landscape and Towns

The canton is divided into three parts. The Franches-Montagnes are a high plateau at around 3,300 feet (1,000 meters), with fir trees, pastures and moors such as the Étang de la Gruère; this is where Switzerland's only native horse breed, the Franches-Montagnes horse, is raised. The Delémont Basin, with its main town of Delémont, is shaped by agriculture and industry; the old town has fountains and a castle of the prince-bishops of Basel. In the northwest lies the Ajoie region with Porrentruy, the former residence of these prince-bishops; the castle and the old town with its townhouses form an ensemble of national significance.

Sights in the Jura

Saint-Ursanne on the Doubs is a medieval small town with a collegiate church, town gates and a stone bridge with a statue of a saint. Farther west, the Doubs forms the border with France and invites you to go canoeing. In Porrentruy, the Jurassica Museum displays dinosaur tracks that were discovered during highway construction. In August, Saignelégier celebrates the Marché-Concours, a horse show with races that has been held for over a century.

Delémont is worth a stroll through the old town to the Musée jurassien d'art et d'histoire, and in the village of Soyhières on the Birs, the path to the Vorbourg pilgrimage chapel begins. In the Clos du Doubs around Saint-Ursanne, the river is inviting for fishing and swimming, and the Franches-Montagnes offer carriage rides and horseback rides on Franches-Montagnes horses.

Food and Getting There

A typical specialty is Tête de Moine cheese, which is not sliced but shaved into rosettes with a girolle. Damassine, a plum brandy from the Ajoie, carries a PDO seal. In November, the people of Jura celebrate Saint-Martin with a lavish pork feast. Delémont can be reached by train from Basel in about 40 minutes, and the Chemins de fer du Jura railways serve the Franches-Montagnes. The best time to visit is May to October; in winter, the Franches-Montagnes are well suited to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.