Vermes – Hiking Trails, Nature and Cultural Heritage

Vermes lies in the Jura, in a widening of the Gabiare valley at the northern foot of Mont Raimeux. The Gabiare has cut the Gorges du Tiergarten into the limestone. Both its mountainside location and the named limestone gorge shape the landscape.

Landscape and Trails

The former municipality covered the Gabiare basin, the Tiergarten gorge and the northern slope of the Mont-Raimeux range. At its highest point in the former territory of Vermes, the ridge of this range reaches 1,241 m above sea level. This elevation adds a specific reference to the terrain of the valley and gorge landscape. Since January 1, 2013, Vermes has been part of the municipality of Val Terbi, formed by the merger of Vicques, Vermes and Montsevelier.

The Le Tiergarten hike leads to Vermes. Behind the church, the hiking trail marker points to the start of the Sentier botanique. The Sentier botanique Vermes itself begins at the entrance to the village, on the road from Vicques. This describes both a hike with Vermes as its destination and a separate starting point for the educational trail.

The botanical trail is one kilometre long and features numerous panels about the surrounding wildlife and plant life. It leads to the Plain-Fayen pasture. There, a forest hut offers places to rest and picnic; there is also a small playground with swings. The nature panels are a highlight along the way, while at the end point visitors can enjoy the pasture and its facilities for a break.

Church and Murals

The Église Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul de Vermes was built in 1723 on the foundations of a medieval chapel. The church contains a cycle of Gothic murals from the early 15th century, depicting episodes from the lives of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The murals therefore predate the 1723 building: the church’s construction history and its cycle of paintings are two distinct historical aspects. The Swiss Confederation classifies it as a historic monument.

Galerie Arche de Noé

At the entrance to the Gorges of Vermes, Galerie Arche de Noé displays more than 3,000 taxidermied animals in naturalistic settings. Visitors can learn about the work of a taxidermist through a short film or by looking through a window into the workshop. These offer two different insights into the same craft: one through the film, the other through a view into the workshop. The gallery is accessible to visitors with reduced mobility. Compared with the Sentier botanique, its connection with nature focuses on taxidermied animals and how they are presented, while the educational trail covers the surrounding wildlife and plant life.

When looking for a hotel in Vermes, you can distinguish the highlights according to the kind of experience you have planned: Le Tiergarten is a hike with Vermes as its destination, the Sentier botanique is a one-kilometre themed trail, and the church and gallery focus on murals and taxidermy, respectively. You can first consider whether you would like to include a trail, church art or the gallery more prominently in your travel plans.

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