Marshall Adventures

We discovered a really beautiful hike today, completely by accident, while trying to get to a different one.

We’d set out for the Gorges de Covatannaz (Sainte-Croix to Vuiteboeuf). After finally finding it, and accidentally driving up and down the mountain first, we parked, got out, and found a sign saying the trail was closed because a pedestrian bridge had collapsed. I checked Google Maps, spotted “Les Marmites” only 15 minutes away, and off we went. It was a stunning drive past farms, with the leaves just starting to turn yellow in the crisp autumn air.

Like so many places in Switzerland, it wasn’t well marked, and Google Maps had us going in a loop. We spotted a couple of parked cars, pulled in behind them, and there behind us was a tiny wooden sign reading “Les Marmites.”

We followed a creek down to another warning sign, this one telling us not to raft the river without proper safety qualifications (or something to that effect). We scampered down huge, spongy rocks. We couldn’t see the river yet, but we could hear it. On the way down we spotted a large frog and some mysterious claws we first thought belonged to a lobster or crab. After some thinking, we realized they were crawfish claws, and big ones. I started poking around the rock pools with a stick and found one! He (or she) was very feisty. When I picked it up, its claws bent back to within a centimetre of pinching me. The girls were very impressed, and we hunted through the other pools and found three more.

On the way back, the girls were thrilled to have their own walking sticks, and Mia wanted to whittle hers down with a rock. We crossed to the other side and followed a little road where lots of people were walking. It passed through a tiny Swiss village, where the temperature dropped a few degrees for no obvious reason. Within a kilometre or so, it opened onto a stunning riverside. We hung out there, scrambled up big rocks, and the girls played on the riverbank for a long while. It was fantastic to take in the forest sounds, enjoy the warm weather, and just feel connected to nature.

We saw a sign pointing to much longer hikes (4.5 hours!) and decided we’ll definitely be back.

For Next Time: Les Marmites

• Getting there: Signage is poor and Google Maps may loop you around. Look for a few parked cars and a small wooden “Les Marmites” sign.
• Heads up: Gorges de Covatannaz (Sainte-Croix to Vuiteboeuf) was closed in September 2026 after a pedestrian bridge collapsed. Check before going.
• The walk: Two short options. One goes down the creek over big spongy rocks (good grip needed). The other follows the road through the little village (noticeably cooler) to the riverside, about 1 km.
• Come back for: the longer trail signposted from the riverside, about 4.5 hours.
• Bring: snacks and water, good shoes, a towel for riverbank play, and a phone for crawfish photos (look, don’t touch).
• Best part: Mia- “Getting to jump on the rocks over the river”. Annika-“Sticking Mommy’s phone in my pants and it falling down”