The Grande Cariçaie

4 July 2021

The Grande Cariçaie covers the entire southern shore of Lake Neuchâtel (45 km). It is home to over 800 plant species and more than 10,000 animal species, i.e. about a quarter of Switzerland’s flora and fauna.

The Latin name Carex (sedge) can be traced back to the Latin word carectum, which refers to an area covered with sedges. The Grande Cariçaie is, therefore, a large area covered with sedges.

The area comprises eight nature reserves in Vaud, Fribourg, and Neuchâtel, covering almost 3,000 hectares and spanning 45 kilometres in length. The diversity of nature, including its flora and fauna, as well as the number of animal and plant populations, has made Grande Cariçaie famous far beyond the borders of Switzerland.

It is also part of the Ramsar network, an international convention established in 1971 to protect migratory birds. The area features many hiking and cycling trails, as well as several information centres.

(Source and further information: www.grande-caricaie.ch).