Grande Caricaie

The Grande Caricaie runs about forty kilometres along the southern shore of Lake Neuchatel and is the largest reedbed complex in the country, holding a very large share of Swiss marsh species - something like a third of the national flora and fauna occurs here. Its existence is a side effect of engineering: the Jura water correction works of the nineteenth century lowered the lake by more than two metres, exposing shallow ground that became marsh. Eight reserves protect it, with paths, hides and towers on the landward edge and much of the reed itself closed to entry. Beavers have returned. In winter the shallows hold large numbers of ducks and other waterfowl, and the site is of international importance for them.

What you actually see

• Forty kilometres of reedbed - the largest marsh system in Switzerland.
• A wetland made by engineering - exposed when the lake was lowered in the 1800s.
• Hides and observation towers - the access points on the landward edge.
• Wintering waterfowl - internationally important numbers in the shallows.

When to go

April to October for breeding birds; winter for waterfowl. A day.

Honest expectations

Most of the reserve is closed to entry - viewing is from marked paths and towers, and going into the reeds is prohibited. Mosquitoes are heavy in summer. Bring binoculars; without them there is little to see. Beach areas nearby get busy and are separate from the reserve.

Nearby

Yverdon-les-Bains is west; Estavayer-le-Lac and Murten are along the shore.