Long awaited rain was predicted for the weekend, so a look on the forecast left me only one choice to go hiking. As the bad weather moved from west to east there was supposed to be sun in the western part of Switzerland on Sunday. After some research I decided to head to the highest point of the canton Jura. With a height of 1302 meters, Mount Raimeux is not super high, but still a good option for a nice day hike. Starting at about 9 am in Moutier I soon left the village and was heading upwards through the forest. After a while I came upon a lookout and realised that I already gained quite some altitude. Continuing further upwards I approached another lookout and when I turned around a corner a chamois jumped out of the way about 15 meters before me. Wow, what a nice surprise. :) Soon after that encounter I came out of the forest and from there the way straightened. It mostly led along farming land now with the mandatory farming house here and there. I also passed a lot of flowers and on that nice sunny day the air was full of insects. This kept me busy for a while, taking pictures of all the bees and bumblebees. :)
I expected the trail to be busy, but when I met the first couple of people I was already close to the top. About 10 minutes before I reached the highest point, I passed a couple houses and there were quite a few people BBQing and enjoying the good weather. Right there I also passed a big herd of cows which were all sitting on the ground looking like they would do nothing all day long. :) On the top of Mount Raimeux itself was a small observatory tower, which gave good views of the surrounding area.
Apparently one can see the Alps from there, but not today, as the horizon was obscured by clouds. After a short lunch break I carried on. The path was now following along the crest of the mountain, but unfortunately mainly in the forest, so I was able to enjoy the view only every now and then through some small openings in the forest. The path itself was nice and easy to follow and still I only met a few other people. After about an hour on the crest, the trail started to lead downwards and I started the descent. Soon I was back in the forest and luckily the canton of Jura is not known for many ticks as the path was really overgrown in some places. The descent took me the best part of another hour and then I was back at the bottom of the valley. Looking back across the valley, the sun still shining, some nice clouds in the sky and Mount Raimeux in the back it was a really lovely sight to behold. 10 minutes later I arrived at the train station of Corcelles and soon was back on my way towards Zurich.
Highlight of the day: the surprise of having the trail almost for myself
This hike is for you if:
- you're looking for a gentle day hike
- you don't mind walking in the forest a lot
- you're looking for panoramic views over western Switzerland
- you want to stand on the highest point of the canton Jura
This hike is not for you if:
- you want to stand on an exposed peak with unobscured views all around you
- you want it steep and exhausting
Comments