Wooden Walkways And Bridges

Around the Étang de la Gruère in the Swiss Jura, the paths cross ground that is soft, wet and delicate, and the wooden walkways and small bridges are what make it possible to walk there at all. The pond lies in a raised peat bog on the Franches-Montagnes plateau near Saignelégier, and bog soil cannot bear heavy traffic. Boots would compact it, break the vegetation and open channels for water. Boardwalks raise the walker above the surface, spread the load and let people enjoy the landscape while the plants underneath carry on undisturbed.

The walkways form part of a loop of around two and a half kilometres that circles the water. In places the planks run straight through the open bog, with low shrubs and cotton grass on either side, while in other stretches they pass beneath stunted pines and spruces, where the ground feels like a sponge. Small bridges cross streams that drain into the pond. The structures are simple, built of local timber, and their weathered surface blends with the landscape. Handrails and gentle gradients make the route easy, though wooden surfaces can be slippery after rain or frost, and care is needed with young children near the water.

Walking on boards also changes how you see the place. At eye level, the bog appears as a mosaic of mosses, tiny carnivorous plants such as sundews, heathers and berries, with dragonflies hovering over open pools. The surface of the pond reflects the sky, and from the planks you can hear birds in the surrounding trees. Information panels along the way explain the processes that built the peat, which grows by only a millimetre or so a year, and the species that depend on it. Looking down through the gaps, you see how thick and wet the ground is.

Visitors are asked to stay on the walkways, keep dogs on a lead and avoid picking plants. The season for walking runs roughly from late spring to autumn, and in winter the area is covered by snow. Early morning and late afternoon give the best light and the best chance of seeing wildlife.

The loop takes about an hour at a gentle pace and combines well with other stops in Saignelégier.