The Grande Cariçaie

We visited the Grande Cariçaie with the family. Covering nearly 3000 hectares it is the largest lake marsh in Switzerland. We could probably have not chosen a best season for this promenade, since the carpet of flowers densely covers most of the undergrowth and birds start nesting in the meadows. If you are luckier than us, you could probably see a beaver or some of the wild orchids growing in the reserve.

We walked from Estavayer-le-Lac to Cheyres, (not even a third of the entire path!) But it was enough to discover a nature of unsuspected richness by strolling on the paths through nature reserves.

We passed by the “wedding stone”, a huge erratic block on the side of the path along the lake. It is credited with the power to foster the meeting of the soul mate and fertility. Young girls should touch the stone or sit there. As it is not easy to settle on the rock almost 4 meters high, a small step makes it easier! Celtic and Roman coins, traces of the Stone Age, were discovered there. It is assumed that a cult with offerings was rendered here. By sitting on the rock, the women hoped to become fertile. Indeed, the pebble seems polished by generations of buttocks!

Kids were happy running in the mud, climbing the observation posts and trying to see the animals with their binoculars. There are picturesque picnic areas along the path. We spotted a sandy beach where the kids were happy to find an improvised drift wooden house.

Back in the car and driving uphill, we found a point of view with stunning views over the reserve. The sunny day helped to make brighter the deep blue and green of the surrounding nature.

The Grande Cariçaie is home to 8 nature reserves, accessible largely by foot or bicycle. We have also seen people pushing strollers.

If you want to do the full path (40Km), the nature centres of Champ-Pittet (Yverdon-les-Bains) and La Sauge (Cudrefin) are excellent entry points to discover the preserved fauna, flora and landscapes of the reserves.

All along there are information posts and observation infrastructures to make the promenade more interesting.

Cherry on the cake, we saw the Swiss Air Force training in the sky!

This is an easy and peaceful promenade suitable to all ages.

Download or print the map to guide you across the reserve.