Hint

Intro

Anyone wanting a leisurely hike against the current is in the right place. The trail follows the Broye upstream and is virtually flat. The fortress in Lucens is impressive. With Moudon, it provided strategic control of the valley in the Middle Ages.

Description

Payerne is the economic centre of the plain surrounding the river Broye. With its beautiful old town and 11th century abbey church, this town even boasts Switzerland’s oldest Romanesque building. It is worth making a brief detour to see this High Romantic masterpiece. Exit the town and walk southwest in the opposite direction of the flow of the river Broye. Once you have passed the commercial buildings, you will gradually move further away from civilisation. This route follows the river with almost no changes in elevation whatsoever. Birds, ducks and, with a bit of luck, even snakes can be seen along the way.

By the time you reach Granges-près-Marnand, half of the hike will already be behind you. Passing nearby the villages of Villeneuve and Henniez, you will then reach Lucens. Villeneuve is not to be confused with the somewhat more well-known village by Lake Geneva. Henniez, on the other hand, genuinely is the village that is famous for its mineral water. Where before this was largely a place of agriculture, this barely plays a role here any more. The mineral water springs became famous throughout Switzerland in 1880 thanks to the spa hotel. Although the hotel closed down in the 20th century, when bottled mineral water became commercialised in 1905, Henniez became the most widely sold water in Switzerland and even gained international renown.

A short while later, you will arrive at Lucens, the final village of this leg, before reaching your destination. Its 13th century castle towers over it, enthroned atop a rocky spur. In the same spot where today’s castle now stands, a fortress-like complex probably existed there before it. From the 13th century onwards, the village became the summer residence of the bishops of Lausanne. The castle is privately owned and cannot be accessed. The final destination for this leg is Curtilles, not far from Moudon.

An enjoyable tour includes the careful planning of the same. Please inform yourself in advance at the local information center about the route and weather conditions. Depending on the season and weather conditions, this route may be blocked or interrupted

Technical information

Show Technical information content
Start location
Payerne
Destination
Moudon (Curtilles)
Direction
One way
Ascent
100 m
Descent
30 m
Distance
17 km
Duration
4 h
Duration back
4 h
Technical requirements
Easy
Physical requirements
Medium
Season
All year
Theme
Along Water
More information https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/wanderland/etappe4....

Route

ViaJacobi

Rorschach- / Konstanz (D) - Genève (Grenze)
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All stages

Map

SwitzerlandMobility Map: This element is not accessible for disabled people.

Quick Facts

Route number

Stage: 31/33

Distance

17 km

Duration

4 h

Ascent

100 m

Travel information: Payerne

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