July 15, 2014: I had purchased a coffee-mill (hand-grinder) on an auction website for 5 CHF and as I had lots of free time, I traveled 3.5 hours by public transit to the western part of Switzerland to pick it up instead of paying 8 additional CHF for shipping it!
Pick-up was in the community of Chézard St.Martin in the Val-de-Ruz near Neuchâtel (Coffee-grinder in the bottom part of the mailbox, and money to deposit in the top part). On the way there by bus we passed the medieval village of Valangin with its castle, something I was not expecting, and so I decided to do a stop-over there on the way back.
After visiting the pretty village and the castle, I returned to Neuchâtel and walked around the old castle and Collegiate Church there as well, before returning home.
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| On the bus on the way to Chézard-St-Martin to pick up my coffee grinder, we passed through Valangin, and I decided to make a stop here on my way back to Neuchâtel |
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| A look at the Valangin Castle from the bus stop in Valangin |
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| Another building of historical note: The old mill |
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| The Collegiate Church with the beautiful pipe organ |
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| Statues commemorating the founders of the Collegiate Church (built in 1505) above their burial place inside the church |
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| There were already several houses and the foundations of the castle in 1350 |
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| Entering the town gate |
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| The small "main street" of the old town of Valangin |
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| Heading up to the castle inside the castle walls |
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| Self-timed photo on the castle wall... I had to run pretty quickly and make sure I didn't fall off in the process! |
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| Town of Valangin from the castle walls |
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| The front of the castle (there is a museum in there) |
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| South side of the castle from the picnic area |
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| Another look at the castle and its walls from the bus stop before heading back to Neuchâtel |
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| Original sections of the castle were already built by 1300 |
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| Google Maps satellite view of the village of Valangin and its castle |
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| Back in Neuchâtel, a look at the Collegiate cathedral there |
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| And the Neuchâtel castle |
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| A look across the roofs of Neuchâtel |
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| It takes about 2.5 hours by public transit to get from our home to Neuchâtel |
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| The coffee grinder I purchased for 5 SFr. and traveled across the country to pick up.... |
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