Saut du Doubs

Near the villages of Les Brenets (Switzerland) and Villers-le-Lac (France), the Doubs river flows lazily between cliffs, then quickly drops 27 m at the Franco-Swiss border, before resuming its calm course further on.

On either side of the impressive waterfall, which is the highest in the Jura, the river widens to form two narrow lakes, Lake Brenets upstream and Lake Moron downstream. There are many paths for beautiful walks on both the Swiss and French sides.

The Saut du Doubs (literally: "Leap of Doubs") is only accessible on foot, but it is possible to get close by car. However, the most pleasant and spectacular way to get there is by boat, leaving from Les Brenets in Switzerland or Villers-le-Lac in France.

Boats dock on both the Swiss and French sides about 800m from the waterfall, and a short distance from the landing stages a footbridge allows you to cross from one bank to the other. The waterfall can thus be admired from both sides of the border.

Beware: in case of extreme drought, Lake Brenets can be completely dry and boats can no longer navigate. This was the case from mid-July to mid-September 2022, and photos of the dry lake have become symbols of global warming.

Spring and autumn are therefore the best seasons to discover the Saut du Doubs.

Two different companies offer cruises. From Villers-le-Lac (F), the "Bateaux du Saut du Doubs" of the Droz-Bartholet family company offer cruises, meal cruises and event cruises (cocktails, weddings, etc.).

From Les Brenets, the NLB (Lake Brenets Navigation), which is also a family business, offers cruises and, for groups of 15 people or more, boat and restaurant meal packages.

Good to know: on the Swiss side, the Neuchâtel Tourist Card, which is given free of charge when you spend the night in a hotel or hotel-related establishment (camping, etc.) in the canton, entitles you to a free cruise on the NLB boats (and many other advantages).