Mont d'Or Tunnel and Rail Crossing

Vallorbe sits at the Swiss end of the Mont d'Or tunnel, the rail crossing through the Jura that links Switzerland to France on the main Paris-Lausanne-Geneva line. The TGV Lyria passes through the station at speed, but local and regional trains stop, making Vallorbe the formal border crossing for rail passengers. The station itself has some architectural interest — the Swiss side was built with the confidence of a major international gateway even though the town is small.

The Mont d'Or mountain above the tunnel is worth climbing if you have a clear day — at 1,461 metres, the summit offers views across the Jura plateau and on clear days to the Alps. The walking route from Vallorbe takes about two hours each way. The border country up here feels genuinely remote, with open limestone meadows, juniper scrub, and views into both countries simultaneously.

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A story
The Mont d'Or tunnel was completed in 1915, cutting through the Jura mountains to create a direct rail link between Switzerland and France. During World War I, with France and Germany at war and Switzerland strictly neutral, the tunnel became a strategically significant crossing point — the neutral Swiss postal route through Vallorbe was one of the few ways mail could pass between the warring countries.