Les Ballaigues to Romainmôtier (direct route)

 

From Les Ballaigues, we knew there must be a way to drop south to a trail that runs east-west along the river Orbe. Having a Swiss data SIM card really came in handy here, as we frequently referred to Google Maps to help us find our way. For those who might be interested in this alternate route, I will describe it here:

From Les Ballaigues, take Grand-Rue west to Fontannasson, then take the first left on Les Grassis. Near Route 9, turn right before the bridge, then continue left under the bridge. This becomes a farming road and subsequently crosses under Route 9. At the intersection with the logging road, look for the trail on the other side, marked with yellow. This very muddy trail descended steeply down along a stream. A walking stick is helpful in this area. Keep heading southeast until reaching the Cabane des Pêcheurs, with its bridge crossing the river Orbe. From here, take the trail east until you reach the paved road into Les Clées. This trail is used by hikers and mountain bikers and follows alongside the river for several miles.

This section of woods was very moist. Rocks and trees were covered in moss, but the well-worn path was mostly dry. In some areas, a steep cliff arose on our right side, while our left side faced a dramatic drop-off to the river below, but railings or trees typically closed us in.

In some sections, the path wound through tunnels carved out of the rock face.

Eventually, the wooded path reaches a dirt road, which subsequently turns into a paved road leading into the town of Les Clées. There is an auberge with a restaurant at the church. Across the street, a small picnic area provided refuge from the sun for us to share a snack of more bread, comté cheese (a cheese made in eastern France), and blueberries.

From here, the route got tricky again. We took the road heading southeast out of town (past the trail to Les Marmites). Immediately after the bend, there is a dirt trail heading uphill off the right side of the road. This heads through woods, and, when looking back, affords a beautiful view of Château des Clées (Les Clées Castle). The trail emerges into an open field. Here, it appeared to enter a cow pasture but we soon discovered that it actually continued to a dirt road just beyond the edge of the pasture.

The trail then veered to the right to a barn. Here we were confused, as the trail appeared to continue in another cow pasture, and there seemed to possibly be two options. Fortunately for us, the farmer came along at that moment and gladly assisted us. After a choppy conversation in French to identify our intended route, he directed us up the muddy path past 3 electrified gates, to the left of the trees.

This trail emerged onto a bike path adjacent to Route 9 and led to the village of Bretonniéres, known for its beautiful church. We walked through town on Rue Etienne, then Route De Premier, to reach a path heading south through fields and woods.

This was another section of the route where we didn’t know exactly where to go, but the many walking paths across Switzerland make it possible to get just about anywhere on foot. We headed south until we reached a walking loop (labeled on the map below as “Bois de Fôret” (forest wood). We continued straight until the path turned right (west) toward Romainmôtier. This led straight to the main road into the beautiful old village, known for its Cluniac Abbey.

Here, we went straight to our AirBnB, hosted by Gioia, her dog, and several cats in her farmhouse. This amazing woman made us feel right at home. She speaks several languages, which was very useful at dinner when she conversed with us in English and the other guests in Italian, with all of us using some French occasionally. She cooked dinner for us while we gratefully showered and rested from the day’s journey.

We enjoyed a delicious meal of chicken masala, buttered carrots, and rice, followed by apple strudel for dessert, and tea or coffee. The three other guests spoke no English and minimal French, so most of the conversation was conducted with Gioia as a go-between. We discussed livelihoods, families, travels, gardening (those big black slugs and the wet weather have been very problematic), and even politics, as the recent results of the European elections were quite shocking. Afterwards, these three weary travelers headed to bed, restoring our strength and energy for another day of walking.