La Brevine

La Brevine sits in a closed basin on the Jura plateau at just over a thousand metres, and its shape is the reason for its reputation: cold air drains into the hollow on clear winter nights and cannot escape, producing temperature inversions far more severe than the altitude alone would explain. On 12 January 1987 the station recorded minus 41.8 degrees, the lowest official temperature in Swiss history, and the village has been called the Swiss Siberia since. It leans into it - a cold-weather festival is held in winter - though the extremes have grown less frequent. In summer the plateau is farming country with the Lac des Taillieres nearby and long cross-country trails that are the real winter draw.

What to look for

• The Swiss cold record - minus 41.8 degrees, measured on 12 January 1987.
• A cold-air basin - the hollow that traps the inversion on clear nights.
• Cross-country trails - the plateau's main winter use.
• Lac des Taillieres - the small lake in the same basin.

When to go

Winter for the cold and skiing; summer for walking. Half a day.

Before you go

The record is historic - such extremes are rarer now, and an ordinary winter day here is simply cold rather than exceptional. The village is very small with minimal facilities. Postbus services are infrequent. There is little to see beyond the setting.

Nearby

Le Locle and La Chaux-de-Fonds are north-east; the French border is west.

Key facts