Attractions and Places To See around Les Gras - Top 20

At the Maison de l'Absinthe, you can immerse yourself in the history of absinthe. In addition to a permanent exhibition on the history of absinthe, there is a themed exhibition space, a garden, a laboratory that explains the absinthe-making process, a bar where you can sample around 30 different varieties, and finally, a shop where you can purchase various regional products. The Maison de l'Absinthe is open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (5:00 PM on Sundays), except Mondays. Admission is 15 Swiss francs for adults; children up to 16 years old are free.

Full of fountains

Absinthe! Try this high-quality drink with its great history!

History of the village of Mostier - Moustier - Môtiers Môtiers: from the Latin monasteries, meaning church or monastery. The foundation of Môtiers merges with the foundation of the priory of St-Pierre, probably in the 10th century in a still sparsely populated Val-de-Travers. The village developed around the monastery, then rich and powerful. At the beginning of the 14th century, the Counts of Neuchâtel were the rulers of Val-de-Travers and were represented by lords. The castle, first mentioned in 1344, became their residence. At the beginning of the 16th century, the construction of an inn and the famous "town house" began: it is the Hotel des Six-Communes. The building, as it can still be admired, dates from around 1590. Jean-Jacques Rousseau stayed there from 1762 to 1765, but his disputes with the pastor of Montmollin forced the philosopher to leave Môtiers for the Ile Saint-Pierre. The 19th century left the capital a little distant from the industrial development of the rest of the district. There are a few small watch factories, a few absinthe distilleries and a company still present in the priory buildings that produces sparkling wines using the champagne method. In 1987, the municipality developed a policy to protect its architectural heritage. The character of the village and the quality of its cultural and artistic life make Môtiers a place appreciated by visitors. Text / Source: Val de Travers, Rue du Temple 8, 2114 Fleurier https://www.val-de-travers.ch/page/motiers#:~:text=Histoire%20du%20village%20de%20Mostier%20-%20Moustier%20-,d%C3%A9veloppe%20autour%20du %20monast%C3%A8re%2C%20alors%20riche%20et%20puissant.

Absinthe (also called absinthe) Absinthe, also called absinthe, belongs to the wormwood spirits and is an alcoholic beverage traditionally made from wormwood, anise, fennel, a variety of other herbs (depending on the recipe), and alcohol. Most absinthe brands are green, hence absinthe is also called "The Green Fairy" (French: La fée verte). The alcohol content is typically between 45 and 89 percent by volume, placing it among the stronger spirits. Due to the use of bitter-tasting herbs, especially wormwood, absinthe is considered a bitter spirit, although it doesn't necessarily taste bitter. Absinthe was originally produced as a medicinal remedy in the 18th century in the Val de Travers in what is now the Swiss canton of Neuchâtel (République et Canton de Neuchâtel). This spirit, traditionally mixed with water, enjoyed great popularity in France during the second half of the 19th and the early 20th centuries. Famous absinthe drinkers include Charles Baudelaire, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allan Poe, Arthur Rimbaud, Aleister Crowley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Oscar Wilde. At the height of its popularity, the drink had a reputation for being addictive and causing serious health problems due to its thujone content. From 1915 onward, it was banned in several European countries and the USA. Modern studies have not been able to demonstrate any harm from absinthe consumption beyond the effects of alcohol; the health problems observed at the time are now attributed to the poor quality of the alcohol and the large quantities consumed. Since 1998, absinthe has been available again in most European countries. The production and sale of absinthe have been legal again in Switzerland since 2005. Text / Source: Wikipedia https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinth

Maison de l'Absinthe, Môtiers: Since its founding, the Maison de l'Absinthe has housed a permanent exhibition dedicated to absinthe, its history, its legend, and the plant it produces. A bar on the ground floor offers tastings of nearly 30 different types of absinthe, produced by members of the Absinthe Interprofession. Text/Source: Maison de l'Absinthe, Môtiers www.maison-absinthe.ch

Bitumen Bitumen (Latin pix tumens, "sweating pitch", "earth pitch", "grave pitch") is (according to DIN EN 12597) the name for the dark-colored, semi-solid to hard, sticky hydrocarbon mixtures obtained during the gentle processing of petroleum. It is also present in natural asphalt. Due to its low content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), bitumen has replaced the previously used coal tar and is now used for the same purpose, primarily in road construction and for sealing work. Bitumen is a colloidal system made up of a dispersant, the maltenes, and the asphaltenes and petroleum resins dispersed in it. Text / Source: Wikipedia https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitumen

Les Mines d'asphalte du Val-de-Travers In 1711, the first modern scientist specializing in the field of asphalt, the Greek doctor Eirini d'Eyrinys, identified the first deposits on the northern anticline of Val-de-Travers. Initially interested in the therapeutic effects of this material, he laid the foundations for its modern use in his "Dissertation sur l'asphalt ou ciment naturel". The first mine was open-pit and it seems well established that exploitation only concerned the Combe-Vaubayon deposit until 1812. The documents available do not agree on the exact date (around 1830) when the La Presta deposit on the southern slope of the valley would have started to be exploited. After passing through various hands, the mine became the property of an English company, the "Neuchâtel Asphalte Company Ltd.", in 1873. It should be noted that asphalt, like salt, is subject to royal law and that in 1873 the latter charged a sum of around CHF 5 per tonne (around CHF 15 per tonne in 1986). Around 1960, NACO Ltd. was taken over by one of the most powerful road companies in Europe, the British company Tarmac. The asphalt mines of Presta were thus used artisanally and then industrially from 1712 to 1986 before being opened to the public. Text / Source: Les Mines d'asphalte du Val-de-Travers https://www.mines-asphalte.ch/a-propos/