At the south end of Lake Neuchâtel, below the old Roman and medieval town of Yverdon, the shore turns into a wide, flat belt of reed beds and meadow, one of the biggest areas of shoreline marsh in Switzerland. Le Marais, near the village of Yvonand, belongs to this landscape, and like many places along the lake it also belongs to the Prehistoric Pile Dwellings that UNESCO lists, because the shallows hold timbers and artefacts from villages built on stilts thousands of years ago. The remains lie under water or mud, so there is nothing to see at the spot but reeds, willows and the glinting lake, but a visit to the museum in Yverdon or Neuchâtel brings the finds to life.
Birdlife is the real draw. The reed beds shelter herons, great crested grebes, reed warblers, marsh harriers and, in winter, large flocks of ducks and coots, and the lake attracts migrating birds in spring and autumn. Yvonand's beach, the Grèves, is a long strip of sand and shingle popular with swimmers and windsurfers in summer, and quiet in other seasons. The area was drained and farmed in the nineteenth century as part of a major project that lowered the Jura lakes, which is why there is so much flat, fertile ground.
For a rider it is a gentle, enjoyable corner. The road along the south shore is flat and fast, with lakeside views in places, and small lanes lead to farms and fields. Further inland the Vaud countryside rises in rolling hills of orchards, with plenty of quiet curves. Rain falls often in the area, and fog and bise, the cold north-east wind, can make winter rides unpleasant. Weekends in summer bring crowds to the beaches, so aim for weekday mornings.
Yvonand is a village of some two thousand people with a bakery, shops and a few restaurants, and fuel is available at Yverdon-les-Bains, a town of over twenty thousand people about nine kilometres away, which also has a thermal spa, a castle built by the Savoy family and a lively market. The local specialities are perch fillets from the lake, eaten with fries, and Vaud sausage with leek, papet vaudois. Swiss traffic rules apply, with limits strictly enforced by cameras. Keep some small change for parking at the beach.