Hiking with your dog in French-speaking Switzerland: Camille and Everest's favorites
Discover Camille and Everest’s advice and tips for hiking with your dog in French-speaking Switzerland. Canton of Jura, Valais or Moléson: we tell you everything!
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Switzerland, once! A country of mountains, Switzerland is known for its ski resorts, its landscapes of deep valleys and high peaks, its chocolate, its watchmakers and its bankers! Today, I'm taking you to discover Switzerland with your dog. Put on your hiking shoes and let's meet Everest and Camille, our two Swiss hiking fans, at home!
Everest and Camille, our faithful Dog-Reporters are pleased to share with us superb hikes to do with your dog in French-speaking Switzerland. Magnificent landscapes, breathtaking lakes, your efforts will be rewarded with breathtaking spots! This beautiful duo takes us with them to make us discover the Swiss hikes that made them vibrate! If after reading this you don't discover them, I won't understand! 😉
Come on, I won't keep you waiting any longer and I'll let Camille speak, who can't wait to share her lovely hikes with her dog!
Camille, it's up to you:
Are you ready to put on your hiking boots? So follow me, let's go! I'm taking you to discover Switzerland with your dog: Everest and I have tested lots of lovely hikes for you Wouafer's!
I am pleased to take you on a tour of French-speaking Switzerland with your dog. French-speaking Switzerland or also called French-speaking Switzerland is made up of 6 cantons, namely the canton of Vaud, canton of Valais, the Canton of Jura, the Canton of Fribourg, Geneva and the Canton of Neuchâtel. Each of these cantons contains very beautiful treasures just waiting to be discovered! I have therefore selected some beautiful hikes for you in the cantons of Vaud, Valais, Friborg and Jura. It was very difficult to choose, as this region of Switzerland has so many beautiful corners to discover with your dog.
The most beautiful hikes in the canton of Vaud to do with your dog
My favorite hike with my dog in the canton of vaud is that of the Dent de Jaman.
Tooth of Jaman is located in the Vaud Pre-Alps, above Veytaux in the canton of Vaud. It is a great classic of the Vaud Pre-Alps. It culminates at 1m and is accessible from many places. In this article, I take you on a beautiful 874km trail that starts from the village of Les Avants. You can easily park your car near the station. From there, you can follow the yellow hiking signs indicating the Col de Jaman. In Switzerland, all hiking signs are yellow. The hiking time from les Avants to la Dent is 2h30-3h. The path to the Col is easy. However, the last part up to the Dent is quite aerial so I don't recommend for people with vertigo. I advise you to keep your dog on a leash and watch where you step. I assure you, it does not last long and you will be rewarded at the end with a breathtaking view of Lake Geneva.
Of course, it is also possible to reach the summit in an hour from the Jaman pass. The latter is accessible by car. A restaurant "Le Manoire" awaits you to eat.
For this hike, I suggest you equip yourself well and don't forget to take a bowl and water for your dog. Indeed, apart from the restaurant at the Col de Jaman, there is no other place where you can drink!
Musher and Sophie: “With Musher, we love discovering new hiking routes! Walking in nature, seeing Musher conquered by freedom, seeing her discover new smells, feeling free and feeling free, that's what I love. But Hiking with your dog cannot be improvised ! I'm always afraid of forgetting something that my dog might miss during our hike, that's why I invite you to take a look at this article, you will find a very practical checklist to be sure not to do not forget anything ! 🙂 »
Below is a photo of my Jack Russell, Everest at the top of Dent de Jaman, with the view of Leman lake.
Discover Valais with your dog
blue lake byarolla is a must-see located in the canton of Valais, more specifically in the Val d'Herens. First of all, I advise you to go there during the week to have more peace of mind with your dog. This is a very easy walk, lasting 1h to 1h30. The blue lake takes its name from its turquoise and transparent water. To access it, nothing could be simpler. Since Sion, follow the signs for Val d'Hérens and Arolla. The start of the hike to the blue lake is at the edge of the road leading to Arolla. You can't miss it, the attraction is so great. You can park along the road. From there, the path is very well indicated. It will take you an hour to reach this magnificent place, 30 min for the great sportsmen in cani-cross mode.
Musher and Sophie: “Cani-cross is so great! And if you don't know yet, discover this activity and the appropriate equipment to get you started: Cani-cross or cani-trail – the right equipment to run with your dog ! Your dog will love to exercise while running with you! Personally, Musher loves this sport and so do I!”
Once there, there are benches where you can enjoy the place and the view. Many people settle down to have a picnic. A word of advice, to be quiet and avoid the crowds, you have to go there very early in the morning or during the week.
For seasoned hikers, there is the possibility of continuing the hike towards the Aiguilles Rouges hut. This trail is very wild, I guarantee you a total change of scenery. Also, as this path has an elevation gain of 700m over a length of 4km, many people do not go further than the blue lake. Big mistake! If you take the trail to the Aiguilles Rouges hut, you will come across other magnificent mountain lakes, in a wild setting and with the feeling of being alone in the world with your dog. In addition, your dog will be able to drink and bathe in these beautiful lakes. You will understand, so I invite you to continue from the blue lake to this beautiful dog-friendly cabin. Trust me, you won't be disappointed! In addition, the greediest can savor the reward of this climb with a well-deserved fruit tart.
Musher and Sophie: “When you are a seasoned hiker and you like to go with your dog, there are some practical bits of information to know! When I go on a big hike with my dog, I always prepare his packsack for him! It's much more practical for me, I'm already generally well loaded and carrying Musher's things in my bag becomes complicated and very heavy… So I opted for the packsack and frankly it's great! If you don't know how to find out, I share this article to help you: Dog pack bag. You will find the favorite packsack, advice for choosing the best for your dog, a great solution that will become your ally on your hikes with your dog!”
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The Moléson hike: a dog-friendly hike in the canton of Friborg
I'm taking you now the canton of Friborg, specifically in the region of Gruyères . Yes, Gruyère is not just a Swiss cheese; it is also a village and a region. Moreover, I invite you to visit this charming village as well as its splendid castle and to end in beauty with a good half and half fondue (Gruyère-Vacherin) and for the greediest, meringues with double cream of Gruyères. A real treat ! For an even greater immersion in this region, I suggest you climb the summit of Moléson at 2002m! From the Moléson, you can see my house 😉
The view is breathtaking from the Moléson. We've been going up there since Moléson-village, the departure is next to the funicular station. The hike is quite demanding, with 900m of elevation gain for a length of 6km. Some passages require sure footing and should be avoided in case of rain. It is also possible to take the funicular from Moléson-Village to Plan Francey to shorten the hike. Indeed, since the arrival of the Funicular, the hike is 4km or 2km long, it depends on which side you climb the mountain.
Once you get to the top, you'll find a great dog-friendly restaurant with great food to eat and a great view.
There are also often very cool events such as sunrise with lunch or in winter, tobogganing or night hiking.
The canton of Jura: a Swiss destination for you and your dog
Jura is a beautiful canton, quite wild, which reminds me a lot of Canada, with vast expanses. It is the ideal place for lovers of sled dogs in winter or simply go cani-scooting in winter with your dog. This canton is full of very beautiful places, in particular one of the best known, the Gruère pond. It is a nature reserve located not far from Saignelegier Within Franches Montagnes. Many local lovers compare it to a Quebec or Finnish lake.
Musher and Sophie: “There are lots of new activities to try with your dog and the cani-scooter is one of them! I haven't had the opportunity to try with Musher but why not initiate us? If you too would like to discover this activity to do with your dog thanks to this article in the Mag': Go cani-scooting with your dog. You will find everything you need to know about this canine sport because it still requires preparation and respecting the conditions of your dog! Cani-scooting requires preparation, so I invite you to discover this sport with this article!”
The walk that I suggest is a very easy hike, lasting 1 hour, accessible to all, which consists of going around the lake. Dogs are of course accepted but kept on a leash to respect the local fauna. It is a very pretty walk, a paradise for nature lovers. You can even skate there in winter, provided you have checked the thickness of the ice beforehand. Below is a photo to illustrate this beauty.
Wow! Well, it made me want to go for a trip to French-speaking Switzerland to stock up on hikes! Thank you very much Camille for all your tips for discovering magnificent landscapes! I really want to try the adventure in Switzerland with my dog and discover all these places! The cantons of French-speaking Switzerland are now one of my top hikes to do! Thank you Camille and Everest for this great article which made us all want to go on vacation to Switzerland with our dog! Beautiful surprises and discoveries await you for a maximum of activities to do in Switzerland with your dog! Can't wait to discover your next adventures with Everest!