Le Locle: Watchmaking Culture and UNESCO Heritage

Le Locle is ideal for a trip where watchmaking is visible not only in museums but also in the urban fabric. Together with La Chaux-de-Fonds, the urban ensemble is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built for watchmaking, it is an outstanding example of towns entirely oriented towards a single industry. It includes homes designed for working from home, houses belonging to business owners, workshops and factories built later. The connection between living and working is therefore part of the architectural heritage. Watchmaking remains an active presence in both cities; their orderly street plans, developed continuously since the first half of the 19th century, have also been preserved.

Watchmaking in the Cityscape and on Walking Tours

One striking building is Le Locle’s Hôtel de Ville. Its broad gable is adorned with a fresco by Biéler, while its windows and slender tower define the building. The Parcours horloger, a walking tour with 39 stops exploring the city’s watchmaking heritage, starts in front of the town hall. It ends at the Musée d’horlogerie du Locle in the Château des Monts. Along the streets, the Le Locle horloger route uses QR codes; a free brochure is available from the municipal administration in French, German and English.

If you would like to discover the city’s history and urban planning on foot, you can choose the “Le Locle: History and Urban Planning” tour. It takes you through the streets and introduces the city’s history, the distinctive features of this watchmaking town and its UNESCO-recognised watchmaking urban planning. The tour is available in French, German, English and Italian. Individual visitors can join on scheduled dates during the season; group bookings are available separately. You can reach the tour by taking bus routes 342, 343, 360, 361, 380 or 381 to the Gare/centre ville stop.

The watchmaking process is also at the heart of a visit to Manufacture Zenith. The tour covers watchmaking professions and takes you from movement development and component machining through to assembly. Visits are available only by reservation through Neuchâtel Tourism; check the booking arrangements in advance. At the “Le monde est carré” workshop, visitors learn key steps in assembling a mechanical watch at a workbench under the guidance of a specialist. This introduction is available year-round by reservation; here too, it is advisable to check the booking arrangements in advance.

Museums, Timekeeping and Art

The Musée d’horlogerie du Locle in the Château des Monts displays automata, pendulum clocks and exceptional timepieces. The entire top floor of the château is devoted to the history of timekeeping. At the restoration workshop, visitors can watch restoration work in real time, ask the restorer questions and learn about the methods used. Take bus route 341 to the Château des Monts stop to reach the museum.

The Moulins souterrains du Col-des-Roches connects the city’s history with the former use of hydropower. The site also houses the Musée d’histoire du Locle. Five hydraulic wheels powered mills, a sawmill, a grater and an oil mill. During a visit to the caves, you can choose between a guided tour and an audio guide to learn more about the history and workings of the hydraulic system. The permanent exhibition also presents the region’s archaeological and historical context.

The exhibitions at the Musée des beaux-arts change three times a year. The programme includes a triennial dedicated to contemporary printmaking and the Fondation Lermite’s headquarters. The Exomusée is an open-air museum featuring international murals and graffiti. You can explore it on your own, join a guided tour or visit as part of a day programme combined with the Musée d’horlogerie. As visit options and booking arrangements may change, check them in advance.

Forest Trails, Snowshoeing and Leisure

For a short visit to the forest, try the Sentier “Le Tremplin de la Combe-Girard”: the walk takes about 30 minutes and is freely accessible year-round. The Sentier nature runs through the Joux Pélichet and Combe Girard forests; information panels explain the importance and function of forests. Le Locle also offers nine snowshoe trails totalling 25 kilometres. More than 400 markers, 80 signposts and 14 trailhead posts with route maps support this offer. Local leisure activities also include several kilometres of hiking and mountain biking trails. Check detailed route information before your trip.

The surviving structures of the former Combe-Girard ski jump reach a height of 27 metres. For almost 60 years, the facility was an important ski jumping venue in Switzerland and Europe. For ice sports, there is the covered Patinoire du Communal, which accommodates all ice sports and is open along the sides, offering views of the surrounding countryside. It operates seasonally. The Piscine du Communal has a 50-metre pool, diving boards and a slide. As its layout may change during renovations or upgrades, check before your visit.

Getting There and More to Explore

Le Locle is connected to major transport routes by rail and by road through the tunnel beneath Vue-des-Alpes. Nearby Les Brenets has regular boat services through the meanders of the Doubs to the Saut-du-Doubs. When planning your trip, you can focus on the town’s watchmaking heritage, museum visits or outdoor activities.

Discover more destinations: Le Cerneux-Péquignot, Les Ponts-De-Martel, Brot-Plamboz, Les Brenets, La Brévine

Return to the main travel overview: Le Locle.