Grandevent: Hiking, Forests and Panoramas

Grandevent combines hiking opportunities with forests, panoramic views and protected landscapes. If you consider nature, trails and local history when choosing your destination, you will find several concrete points of interest here. The village lies at an average elevation of 655 metres. Grandevent offers exceptional panoramic views, and visitors can explore 92 hectares of forest. There is a picnic area in the upper part of the village.

Forest Trails and Hiking Circuits

Numerous forest trails are closed to motorized traffic, making it possible to explore Grandevent. There are also four hiking circuits that start and end at the Grandevent village train platform. Unlike the forest trails, these circuits provide a defined route that returns to the same starting point. Check route conditions before setting out.

Nearby, the entrance or exit of the Poëta-Raisse Gorge is a destination for a visit and a hike through the gorge on foot.

Two Nature Reserves

The La Cruchaude nature reserve lies in the municipalities of Grandevent and Bullet and combines natural areas with cultivated landscapes. Partially collapsed dry-stone walls border the area. There are also traces of red deer, wild boar, brown hares, foxes, chamois and roe deer. La Cruchaude is accessible year-round; in winter, a snowshoe route can be used. Whether it is usable depends on snow conditions.

The nearby La Vaux forest nature reserve features a different type of landscape: it includes damp slope forests as well as relatively dry forests on limestone cliffs. Caves and sinkholes in the Tempêteries are also part of the reserve. From La Combaz, La Vaux can be reached on foot via the Chemin pédestre des Crêtes du Jura (No. 5), in the direction of Sainte-Croix. The municipality of Grandevent is one of the owners of the forest nature reserve.

In direct comparison, La Cruchaude combines cultivated landscapes, dry-stone walls and signs of wildlife, while La Vaux brings together different types of forest, limestone cliffs, caves and sinkholes.

Regional Nature and Local History

The wider area around Grandevent, with its forests and farmland, is considered a peaceful landscape to explore. Alongside hiking, there are opportunities for cycling and historic sights. Grandevent takes part in a conservation programme for the capercaillie and in other biodiversity projects.

Grandevent separated from the large municipality of Fiez in 1730 and formed an independent community. Grandevent’s coat of arms adopts the silver-and-blue divided field from the coat of arms of the House of Grandson, which ruled the area in the Middle Ages. This heraldic connection provides a tangible link between the municipality’s history and medieval rule in the region. Grand-Brelingard is an alpine pasture in Grandevent and adds an agricultural landscape dimension to local points of interest.

Discover more destinations: Giez Vd, Ballaigues, La Praz, L'abbaye, Sainte-Croix, Romainmôtier-Envy, Yvonand, Le Chenit.

For the wider travel overview: Northern Vaud Jura.