«Sirop d’érable» (Maple Syrup), «Grande Ourse» (The Great Bear), and «Clémentine» (Clementine) are a few of the names given to the rooms in this hotel, and they tell a story that sets the hotel apart from others. The adventure started a little over 25 years ago, when two friends, one a farmer's son and the other a physicist, decided to rework a farm and practice biodynamic agriculture. Soon after, they took over the neighbouring inn that had been closed for a long time and turned it into a restaurant. A new farm and hotel were built, thanks to a call for funding among their friends and clients.

One common point among all these realizations became clear: sustainable development. The rain water is collected and used in the farm building and WCs, the sun dries the hay, the heating system runs on waste wood, and even the farming is designed to circulate energy. The restaurant is obviously «100% organic» and serves mainly products straight from the farm. It's a small world built on the idea of self-sufficiency developed by Rudolf Steiner, and it attracts a clientele from both the private sector on vacation and businesses attending seminars.

Contact and information: www.aubier.ch
Photo: CCA

Hotel de l'Ecluse: Charm & Conviviality

In this small, charming hotel nestled in the heart of Neuchâtel, everything contributes to making you feel at home: a warm, multi-lingual welcome, 18 rooms, each of them different, with walls decorated by the works of Neuchâtel artists, a private kitchen for those who prefer to be independent, a charming terrace shaded by Mediterranean greenery, and "evening aperitifs" in the magnificent, vaulted cellar, where you can discover the work of regional artists. People adore this little jewel bathed in calm, although not cut off from the world. A free, wireless internet connection is offered by the hotel to its clientele: an occasion to reply to mail from one's room or even from the terrace while sipping one of the splendid house whiskeys.

Contact, informations and how to get there:

It is hard to imagine the existence of such a haven of greenery only a few minutes from the centre of Neuchatel. Nonetheless, once through the maze of highway turnoffs you enter another world: in the midst of wild cascades, of ruined watermills built from the 16th to the 19th century and ancient trees stands the imposing house of the Prussian.

Between high-tech and nature

A five-star hotel, but one completely outside the norm: 40 bungalows, some on stilts above the lake. This was the hotel of the National Exhibition 2002 and serves to reflect the provocative nature of the event. The exterior, an “alignment of matchboxes”, contrasts with an attractive interior aimed at a clientèle for whom “design” is of primordial importance.