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The Creux du Van is a natural rocky
Creux du Van
(Canton of Neuchâtel Tourist Office)
The Creux du Van is a natural rocky cirque
A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...
approximately wide and deep, on the north side of Le Soliat, in the Val de Travers district in the Swiss
Swiss most commonly refers to:
* the adjectival form of Switzerland
* Swiss people
Swiss may also refer to: Places
* Swiss, Missouri
* Swiss, North Carolina
* Swiss, West Virginia
* Swiss, Wisconsin
Other uses
* Swiss Café, an old café located ...
canton
Canton may refer to:
Administrative divisions
* Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries
* Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French
Arts and entertainment
* Canton (band), an It ...
of Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel (, ; ; ) is a list of towns in Switzerland, town, a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality, and the capital (political), capital of the cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Neuchâtel (canton), Neuchâtel on Lake Neuchâtel ...
. A very well known, amphitheatre-shaped natural attraction, it is at the heart of a nature reservation area of .
Geology
The rocky arc of Creux du Van was created in three phases: * Phase 1: Aglacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
covered the area of today's Val de Travers around 140,000 years ago (Würm Ice Age
Wurm or Würm may refer to:
Places
* Wurm (Rur), a river in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany
* Würm (Amper), a river in Bavaria, southeastern Germany
** Würm glaciation, an Alpine ice age, named after the Bavarian river
* Würm (Nagold ...
). The stream of meltwater eroded material, making a V-shaped valley.
* Phase 2: During subsequent ice ages, other glaciers were created and hollowed out the valley. In warmer periods, the material was eroded by meltwater
Meltwater (or melt water) is water released by the melting of snow or ice, including glaciers, glacial ice, tabular icebergs and ice shelf, ice shelves over oceans. Meltwater is often found during early spring (season), spring when snow packs a ...
.
* Phase 3: After the removal of rocks from the fault, erosion of a stronger layer from a different age was much slower.
See cirque
A (; from the Latin word ) is an amphitheatre-like valley formed by Glacier#Erosion, glacial erosion. Alternative names for this landform are corrie (from , meaning a pot or cauldron) and ; ). A cirque may also be a similarly shaped landform a ...
for a description of the process forming features like this.
The ground beneath the Creux du Van held permafrost until recently.(permafrost
Permafrost () is soil or underwater sediment which continuously remains below for two years or more; the oldest permafrost has been continuously frozen for around 700,000 years. Whilst the shallowest permafrost has a vertical extent of below ...
).
Attraction
Ibex
An ibex ( : ibex, ibexes or ibices) is any of several species of wild goat (genus ''Capra''), distinguished by the male's large recurved horns, which are transversely ridged in front. Ibex are found in Eurasia, North Africa and East Africa.
T ...
were introduced in the area in 1965. , there are 17.
Access
The summit area can be reached both on foot and by car. A paved road fromSaint-Aubin-Sauges
Saint-Aubin-Sauges is a former Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Boudry (district), Boudry in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Neuchâtel (canton), Neuchâtel in Switzerland. On 1 January 2018 the former municipal ...
(on Lake Neuchâtel
Lake Neuchâtel ( ; ; ) is a lake primarily in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. The lake lies mainly in the canton of Neuchâtel, but is also shared by the cantons of Vaud, Fribourg, and Bern. It comprises one of the lakes in th ...
) or Couvet
Couvet was a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Val-de-Travers (district), Val-de-Travers in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Canton of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel in Switzerland. On 1 January 2009, the former municipal ...
(Val-de-Travers
Val-de-Travers is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It was created on 1 January 2009, when the former municipalities of Boveresse, Buttes, Neuchâtel, Buttes, Couvet, Fleurier, Les Bayards, ...
) climbs to at , a few minutes walk away from the summit of the rocky cirque. Some hiking paths are signposted, via .
Notable trails in the areas include:
* (the path of the 14 bends) starts at station (Val-de-Travers), with connections to .
* leads to the summit directly from the area called .
* Other unmarked paths allow access to the summit via or also from via (a breach into the wall of rocks).
Panorama
1467 Montagne de BountyReferences
Creux du Van
(Canton of Neuchâtel Tourist Office)
Notes
{{Authority control Tourist attractions in Switzerland Mountains of the canton of Neuchâtel Cirques of Europe Mountains of Switzerland