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 Nestled in the small valley of Nozon, close to Orbe, the little town of Romainmôtier has put up towers and ramparts around its thousand-year-old abbey. A jewel to be discovered at the exit of a magnificent boxwood and oak forest.
From La Sarraz or Ferreyres, follow the Nozon Valley, along the beautiful Nozon River. The little stream winds its way past fountains, gardens and coppice forests, before digging deep gorges in the limestone cliffs and finally breaking into an impressive waterfall. A walk across moss and ferns, marked by mills and « ferrières » (iron mines), which is a reminder that this region has a rich industrial past.
The route and other interesting things to discover:
- A 2-hour walk from La Sarraz in the direction of Ferreyres and then Croy- Romainmôtier (110m slope).
- The Bellaires mines -The Ferreyres commune gets its name from « ferraria », which means iron mine, and you can actually find thin seams of this ore here. This explains how « ferrières »(mine chambers where iron is extracted, and which you can visit) were found in the Bellaires forest. There are also vestiges of ancient mills. Hydraulic power hasn't failed to create jobs, as this is where Golay-Buchel and Maillefer made their debut.
- The Nozon Valley and its hundred fountains - some of them dating back to the 16th C. - as well as the ancient course they come from.
- The Dard Falls - a spectacular waterfall, to say the least, its height equivalent to a five-storey building!
Photo: CCA
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