Dry-stone Walls

When the Anabaptists were banned from the plain and sentenced to higher altitude by the Prince Bishops of Basel, they cleared the stony and wooded lands of the Bernese Jura and built the first dry-stone walls. At the time, these were used to demarcate between plots, reduce deforestation and contribute to destoning the soil. In terms of landscapes, they are nowadays the other typical Jura signature, alongside wooded pastures. Chasseral Nature Park and dedicated residents, such as Moussia de Watteville, are committed to restoring the masonry-free walls that have defied the centuries and shelter significant biodiversity. For those that are wondering, it is possible to take part in dry-stone wall restoration days.

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