Regional products
Absinthe
On the trail of a legendary drink with a forbidden taste.
Absinthe Val-de-Travers. © Association Pays de l'absinthe, Guillaume Perret
An aromatic smell, subtle taste, visual pleasure... Absinthe with its secrets and its rituals will entice your senses when you visit the Val-de-Travers.
The Absinthe House
This centre is a true temple dedicated to the Green Fairy. It shows an original exhibition about the sinister history of absinthe. From the plant to the creation of the beverage, the secrets of its production and the stories about its prohibition, you are taken on a quite unique trip here. Including, of course, a tasting according to the traditional ritual!
Visit a distillery
Meeting with an artisanal distiller is definitely a must: behind the mythic beverage we find dedicated men and women who will, with a bit of luck, share some of their secrets with you. They explain details about the art of distillation, let you taste the spirit, and tell some juicy anecdotes from the time of the prohibition.
A history of passion
First made in the Val-de-Travers in the 18th century, absinthe rapidly rose to success in the 19th century Paris. An artists’ beverage par excellence, it inspired numerous poets who praised it extensively in their works. The spirit attained a legendary status before it was prohibited in Switzerland in 1910, accused of making its consumers go crazy. However, its secret production never ceased during the period of prohibition, which ended in 2005.
A valley marked by the Green Fairy
Here and there, you will discover plantations of absinthe in this Jurassic landscape characterised by steep limestone formations and green vegetation. Other witnesses of this tradition will be revealed to you in the Val-de-Travers: a listed drying shed, and secret hiding places which were used during the period of prohibition to store the forbidden brew.
The Absinthe House
This centre is a true temple dedicated to the Green Fairy. It shows an original exhibition about the sinister history of absinthe. From the plant to the creation of the beverage, the secrets of its production and the stories about its prohibition, you are taken on a quite unique trip here. Including, of course, a tasting according to the traditional ritual!
Visit a distillery
Meeting with an artisanal distiller is definitely a must: behind the mythic beverage we find dedicated men and women who will, with a bit of luck, share some of their secrets with you. They explain details about the art of distillation, let you taste the spirit, and tell some juicy anecdotes from the time of the prohibition.
A history of passion
First made in the Val-de-Travers in the 18th century, absinthe rapidly rose to success in the 19th century Paris. An artists’ beverage par excellence, it inspired numerous poets who praised it extensively in their works. The spirit attained a legendary status before it was prohibited in Switzerland in 1910, accused of making its consumers go crazy. However, its secret production never ceased during the period of prohibition, which ended in 2005.
A valley marked by the Green Fairy
Here and there, you will discover plantations of absinthe in this Jurassic landscape characterised by steep limestone formations and green vegetation. Other witnesses of this tradition will be revealed to you in the Val-de-Travers: a listed drying shed, and secret hiding places which were used during the period of prohibition to store the forbidden brew.
Absinthe house
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Absinthe distilleries
An aromatic smell, subtle taste, visual pleasure... Absinthe with its secrets and its rituals will entice your senses when you visit the Val-de-Travers.
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