We first discovered the Jorat Forest (Bois du Jorat) about a month ago, and it’s quickly become a family favourite. It’s less than a 10-minute drive from our house, packed with biodiversity, and criss-crossed with walking and biking trails. It is part of a 40 km², one of the largest continuous forest on the Swiss plateau. I’ve started doing morning bike rides here on my own, about 7 km each way, with plenty of side trails still to explore. In typical Swiss style, there are always lots of people out walking, biking, and enjoying nature, plus plenty of horseback riders, which is very common on these trails.
Yesterday we brought the girls for a short walk. Annika found a beautiful clearing and asked if we could stop and explore for a while. Mia put her camp shelter-building skills to work, and we started putting together a small shelter (oops-learned that we weren’t supposed to go off trail and build here). Annika found a tiny brown toad (un crapaud!).
Autumn is arriving, the leaves are just starting to fall, and the wind had picked up. So I made up a game: catch a leaf before it hits the ground. It kept the girls busy for quite a while, and it turned out to be much harder than it looks!
On the way out, the girls asked if we could come back and just spend time in the forest building things. They want to bring supplies (rope, a Swiss Army knife, and so on), and we think that’s an excellent plan for next time.
For Next Time: Jorat Forest
- Getting there: under 10 minutes by car from home. (Parking sport: Chalet-Ã -Gobet
- The walk: short, easy forest paths, good for little legs. The clearing Annika found is a perfect stopping spot.
- For Mark’s rides: about 7 km each way from Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, with lots of side trails still to explore.
- Heads up: the Parc naturel du Jorat has a protected core zone, so check the map on jorat.org before a building day and pick a spot outside it. Watch for horseback riders on the trails.
- Bring next time: rope, the Swiss Army knife, snacks and water, a bag for treasures, and a bathroom plan. 😄
- Play idea: catch-a-falling-leaf. Each catch is a lucky month!
- Come back for: a forest building day, plus autumn colours in a couple of weeks.
- Mia’s Highlight: Building the fort but she didn’t have enough time to complete it.
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