Swiss watch making is legendary and the towns of Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds are the centers of it. It all started at the beginning of the 18th century in Le Locle. When the industry expanded shops were also set up in La Chaux-de-Fonds as more space was available and the road connections were better. At the end of the 18th century the industry really took off when factories were set up. The towns got rich and it shows in the urban planning and buildings.

As my last stop of my weekend trip to Switzerland I visited La Chaux-de-Fonds. The town is fairly large and the sites are spread out. Sign posting could also be a bit better. Specifically, being in Switzerland I was expecting a heritage trail.

There are plenty of villas and bourgeois town houses to see. I also enjoyed the Art Deco decoriations on some buildings and the synagogue. My personal highlight, albeit technically outside of the inscribed area, was visiting the house Le Corbusier built for his mother: Maison Blance. The house is also not part of the Le Corbusier inscription. When you enter you are a bit amazed how traditional it is with flowers decorating the wall. It was one of his early buildings. I would also assume that his mother objected to having his preferred grey color schema applied to her living quarters.

Getting There

There are regular trains connecting both La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle to Yverdon-Les-Bains. From La Chaux-de-Fonds you can also go to Biel and Bern. Finally, there are a few trains a day crossing into France. In town you are probably best served walking.