Chasseral
🗺️ Overview
📍Destination: Chasseral (1,607 m), with a stop at Chasseral Ouest (1,553 m)
🚗 Starting Point: Col du Chasseral (1,502 m), not from the usual hotel parking
🥾 Hike Duration: ~1.5 to 2 hours round trip (leisurely pace with picnic)
⛰ Terrain: Grassy slopes, ridge paths, some steep sections
✅ Bonus: Another canton high point for the checklist – even if it’s a bit underwhelming!
This hike is a relatively simple one, but it leads you to the highest point of one of Switzerland’s cantons — always a nice checkbox for your hiking goals. The main destination is Chasseral (1,607 m), which straddles the border between the cantons of Neuchâtel and Bern. While the actual summit is fully within Bern territory or about 1 km, before it lies Chasseral Ouest (1,553 m) — the highest point of Canton Neuchâtel.
That’s why we decided to begin the hike from a slightly unusual spot: Col du Chasseral (1,502 m). Most people start from the Hotel du Chasseral nearby, where there’s a large parking area and a direct path up. But we like to keep things interesting — so instead of heading straight uphill on the main grassy path, we took the small road to the left, going slightly downhill first.
After about 10 minutes on the road, you reach a bend where a trail cuts through the pasture and heads steeply uphill toward the Chasseral ridge. This is the steepest section of the hike, but it only lasts about 20 minutes before you reach the crest — more or less level with the hotel.
From here, you have two options: follow the wide paved road that most walkers use, or take the narrower ridge path. Naturally, we chose the ridge — it’s almost flat and offers better views. Another 20 minutes later, you reach the summit of Chasseral, marked by a massive (and rather ugly) antenna tower. Still, the typical Jura Alps panorama makes up for it, with stunning views across the Swiss plateau.
Because the hike had been so easy so far, we decided to continue for another 10 minutes past the summit to find a quiet spot for a picnic. The trail on the far side becomes a grassy ridge walk and continues for about an hour — a great option if you’ve parked in one of the villages below and plan a longer circuit.
But we had left the car at the Col and, more importantly, hadn’t yet officially reached the highest point of Canton Neuchâtel. So we turned back — this time taking the paved road to the Hotel du Chasseral parking lot. From there, a direct grassy trail leads back to the Col. Along that descent, almost hidden in the landscape, is Chasseral Ouest — the unassuming high point of Neuchâtel. No dramatic summit, just a small bump on the trail.
And that’s how we bagged one of the most unexciting canton high points — but hey, it still counts!
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