Relax - Time travel in Neuchatel

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[Photo above: The older ramparts of the Neuchatel heartland have a celebrated horological history dating back to the 17th century.]

SINGAPOREAN ABROAD:
IN NEUCHATEL WITH...

Soon Boon Chong
Age: 31
Occupation: Communications
and marketing coordinator
Length of stay: Three years

The heart of the Swiss watchmaking industry is in Neuchatel.

“The first thing that comes to mind about the city is watches,” says Mr Soon Boon Chong, who has been working for Greubel Forsey, a luxury watch brand, for the last three years.

He estimates that up to 70 per cent of famous watch brands, including Tag Heuer and Girard Perregaux, have a manufacturing branch in the French-speaking city, which has a population of less than 170,000.

The old watchmaking towns of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle have been declared Unesco World Heritage Sites. Both have a watchmaking culture that dates back to the 17th century, with famous brands such as Omega and Rolex making their start there.

Many roads in the city are also named after famous watchmakers such as Daniel Jean-Richard, the 17th-century watchmaker and founder of the JeanRichard brand. There is even a statue of him in Le Locle.

In his three years in the “very quiet and peaceful” Neuchatel, Mr Soon has been warmly welcomed by the locals, who are often keen to find out more about Asian culture.

“They like Asians a lot because they think that we are honest, hardworking and trustworthy,” he says.

GETTING AROUND

The best way to explore the city is...

On foot or by bicycle. Neuchatel is a small canton, or state, where many of the tourist sites are easily accessible. There are walking trails you can follow easily on a tourist map.

You can rent a bicycle for free from two stations in the city centre (Esplanade Leopold-Robert, tel:+41-076-417-5091, and Parking du Nid-du-Cro, tel: +41-079-367-8307), between 7.30am and 9.30pm daily, except during winter when the stations are closed.

Anyone above 18 can have the bicycle free for four hours – just leave some form of identification and a security deposit of 20 Swiss francs (S$28).

If you want to go farther into the countryside such as the Unesco heritage towns of La Chaux-de-Fonds or Le Locle, buses and trains run every 20 minutes or so from the main train station (www.sbb.ch). Train tickets typically cost between $21 and $28, while bus tickets cost about $7 to $14.

Otherwise, you can also rent a car to visit the many small villages such as Boudry, Vaumarcus and Cressier, where you will find small castles, restored buildings, hiking trails and boutique vineyards.

The best time to visit is...

If you like the outdoors, June to August, when it is summer and the weather is sunny. The temperature during that season averages 21 to 23 deg C. At the Lake of Neuchatel, you can rent a boat or go for a swim or tan, or just go hiking on the many trails in the nearby mountains.

Which places in the city excite you?

The marketplace at Place des Marches on Saturday morning. Most of the produce sold there comes from small farms. You can also find a lot of artisanal products such as honey, cheeses and dried meats. It is a totally different ambience from the markets in Singapore.

I also like to catch up with friends for a drink next to the lake at Hotel Beau Rivage or at Les Brasseurs, which is a brewery like Brewerkz. The many bars in Place des Halles are also very popular places for people-watching.

FOOD AND WINE

Where can you find food that is close to Singaporean fare?

In my kitchen. There are many Asian restaurants in Neuchatel selling Chinese, Indian, Thai and Vietnamese food but they are generally quite expensive.

Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that you can find food such as laksa, chicken rice and roti prata. Even if you want to cook it yourself, you may face some difficulty as there are few places selling Asian spices and foodstuff.

Your favourite breakfast is...

Usually just a strong cup of espresso and a Petit Pain Ovamaltine which is basically two slices of toast with a slice of melted crunchy chocolate. This costs about 5 or 6 francs, and I usually get it from a bakery on my way to work. Definitely no kaya toast or half-boiled eggs like Ya Kun’s.

Your favourite eating place is...

Le Chasseur (Auberge du Chasseur, Rue Leo-Châtelain 11, CH-2063 Fenin, tel:+41-32-852-0202), which is about 10 minutes by car from the city centre. It is one of the best steakhouses there. The menu has meats such as beef, pork and chicken, and more exotic stuff such as horse, hog and deer meat served on hot stones. A typical meal including drinks costs $34 to $55.

The coolest place to chill out at is...

Lac des Tailleres, which is nicknamed Little Siberia. Located more than 1,000m above sea level, it is a wonderful place to go natural ice-skating on the frozen lake. The temperature there can go down to minus 40 deg C in winter. I also like to go to Cafe du Cerf (Rue Ancienne Hotel de Ville 4, 2000 Neuchatel, tel:+41-32-724-2744, www.cafeducerf.ch). It is one of the most popular bars in Neuchatel, especially with expatriate workers. There are live music performances almost every weekend and you can also watch international sports such as English football. Beers and soft drinks typically cost between $4 and $10 each.

CULTURE FIX

One of the smallest castles in Europe
can be found in Boudry.

What do you think Singaporeans will like most about your city?

The unique architecture in the Old Town makes Neuchatel a very interesting place. There are old churches, castles and buildings dating back to the 15th century. Nature lovers will also find Neuchatel a very nice place to relax in because there is generally no rush for anything there. The relative calm of the city is one of the main reasons I am still in Neuchatel.

What is the biggest difference between Singapore and this city?

There is no shopping after 6pm on weekdays and 5pm on Saturdays, and shopping is done mainly in small shops dotting the streets rather than in a shopping mall.

What is one place you always take your friends to when they visit you?

Creux-du-Van. It is a mountain with a breathtakingly beautiful natural rock quarry. It is a paradise for birds of prey, marmots, deer and ibex, which is an animal related to the goat. Located at the heart of a nature reservation, it is a 40-minute car ride from the city centre.

Creux-du-Van is a mountain with a
picturesque natural rock quarry where
birds of prey and deer thrive.

What is the one thing you must do in your city?

In the winter, have a typical Swiss meal consisting of cheese fondue, cold meats and a nice glass of white wine.

How do you spend your weekends there?

Grocery shopping on Saturdays and then hanging out with some friends for dinner at a nice restaurant. On Sundays, sometimes we will take a walk along the lake or just have a barbecue if the weather is nice. Otherwise, we will take a 15- to 30-minute drive out to a nearby town or village, such as Le Landeron, to have a meal. This is a small village with many surprises such as a Michelin-starred restaurant.

SHOPPING

Where is the best place to go on a shopping spree?

If you are after the big brands, Neuchatel is not the place to be. Usually, I go to Bern or Geneva to do my shopping. Place Pury is the equivalent of Orchard Road in Singapore but perhaps 20 times smaller. You can find small shops selling Swiss handicrafts and knick-knacks, and some Swiss fashion stores such as PKZ, Vogele and Globus.

FESTIVALS

Are there any festivals that travellers should look out for?
The annual Fetes des Vendanges is a wine harvest festival which falls in September. The whole town comes together to celebrate the harvest for three days, during which time you can see lively fireworks, listen to the many marching bands and try the many different wines available.

Are there things to see or do outside of the city?

Neuchatel is also known as the Watch Valley. If you are interested in watches, visit the Musee International d’Horlogerie (www.mih.ch/) in Le Locle. There are also a lot of museums in La Chaux-de-Fonds, which is just a 15-minute drive from the city centre, dedicated to individual watch brands such as Tag Heuer and Girard Perregaux. You can visit most of them for free, but you need to make reservations. It is possible to tour the watchmaking factories of the more famous brands but you have to make inquiries in advance.
You can also take the boat-taxi from the harbour at the Lake of Neuchatel to visit the many small towns such as Morat, Cudrefin and Yverdon for a hike or to visit their natural thermal springs. A ride to one of the towns usually takes about 15 minutes and costs about 8 francs.
nicy@sph.com.sg

--The Sunday Times

Time travel in Neuchatel

By Nicholas Yong, The Sunday Times | Mon, Nov 16 2009

The watchmaking heart of Switzerland, Neuchatel is a quiet town where time seems to have stopped.

Keywords

switzerland

neuchatel