Peseux NE: Forest Trails and Historic Architecture

Peseux NE is in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The town combines forest activities with a rich architectural history. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can consider whether forest walks or historic architecture should shape your visit more. The old village of Peseux is also worth a detour.

Forest trails and nature experiences

The Forêt de Peseux offers opportunities for walks and includes a Parcours Vita. Another specific forest activity is the Sentier forestier de Peseux. It follows around fifteen stations and provides information, experiences and games about the forest’s distinctive features.

The trail thus combines exercise in the forest with themed stations: the focus is on the forest’s special features, presented in different ways along the route. The approximate number of stations gives the trail a clear structure. The Parcours Vita is another way to take the forest into account when choosing your activities.

Château de Peseux and its park

The Château de Peseux is an imposing Renaissance residence with a hexagonal tower. It is considered the oldest château in the Neuchâtel region and was never used for military purposes. The château’s public park contains a restored old fountain dating from 1772. This site is notable both for the residence’s striking architectural form and for a specific historic feature in the park.

Two churches, different architectural histories

The Temple de Peseux was built between 1627 and 1635. In 1871–1872, it was almost entirely rebuilt in the then-popular Neo-Gothic style. The Temple contains stained-glass windows by Charles L’Eplattenier from 1933 and 1939, and by Etienne Tach from 1963; the latter works were executed by Geneva artist Jacques Wasem.

The Catholic church in Peseux is a significant example of 1950s religious architecture. It was designed and built by Neuchâtel architects Beate and Maurice Billeter. Its bell tower dates from 1955, the stained-glass windows by Coghuf from 1970, and the organ from 1972.

The two buildings thus have different timelines: the Temple’s history spans its 17th-century construction, its Neo-Gothic rebuilding and later stained-glass windows. The listed features of the Catholic church focus on the mid- and late 20th century.

Local history and getting there

The landscape also has a place in local history: the forests at the lower end of the Val-de-Ruz covered about two-thirds of the former municipality of Peseux. The former municipality was near Neuchâtel, on the road to the Val-de-Travers. The people of Peseux are nicknamed “Subiéreux”. The form “Subierey de Peseu” appears in the first Patois text from the canton of Neuchâtel, a collection of collective nicknames dating from 1625.

For your journey, public transport connections are a useful point of reference: Peseux has good public transport links in both the east and the west. For a specific connection on your travel date, it is worth checking the timetable.

Discover more destinations: Montézillon, Boudry, Bevaix, Auvernier, Cortaillod, Gorgier, Corcelles-Cormondrèche.

Back to the regional travel overview: Boudry.