Romainmôtier is a tiny village that grew up around one of the oldest churches in Switzerland. The Cluniac abbey church at its heart is a masterpiece of Romanesque stone, raised in the 11th century by Odilon, abbot of Cluny, on a site monks had settled since the 5th century, the oldest monastery in the country. The handful of houses around it have changed little. It is the quietest of the trips from Yverdon, and the one people remember.
Tucked into a wooded fold of the Jura foothills, the village rewards slowness: the long, still nave, a coffee on the little square, and a walk up the valley are the whole of it, and that is the point.
What to do
- Step inside the Romanesque abbey, free and open daily, for the carved stone and the long nave.
- Wander the medieval village around it, barely larger than the priory itself.
- Walk up the wooded valley on the marked paths; it links into the wider Jura hiking routes.
Practical notes
- The abbey is open daily, 9:00–18:00 (9:00–17:00 in winter), free to enter; guided tours on Sundays at 14:30, April to October (~CHF 10). See romainmotier.ch.
- ~30 minutes by train to Croy-Romainmôtier, then a short PostBus or a 20-minute walk down.
- A quiet half-day is plenty; bring a little cash for the café and bus.
