Cascade du Dard

Overview

• Start point: Pompaples (Parking near bus stop "Colline")

• Destination: Cascade du Dard

• Distance: ~3.5 km one way

• Elevation gain: ~100 m

• Time: ~1 hour (one way)

• Difficulty: Easy

• Optional extensions: Hike to La Croix, Romainmôtier Abbey, or take alternate scenic return routes

Download GPS file

---

This one wins the prize for best quality-to-distance ratio from where I live—less than five minutes by car! I actually live just 30 meters from the Via Francigena, one of Europe’s longest trails, stretching from Canterbury in England to Rome. However, around my area, the trail mainly follows countryside roads—great for jogging but not particularly exciting for hiking.

The hike I’m sharing here is a real treat: easy, scenic, and surprisingly peaceful. It's the trail from Pompaples to the Cascade du Dard.

You can start by parking in Pompaples, near the bus stop “Colline.” Walk a bit further along the road, cross a bridge, pass a few houses, and you’ll reach a wide gravel road with signs pointing to “Montée du Nozon.”

The first stretch of the trail is nearly flat, with just minor ups and downs. It follows the Nozon river, which winds through a mossy, magical landscape with small waterfalls and serene surroundings. After just 5–10 minutes, you’ll reach cliffs that are popular for climbing. You’ll often see climbers on the rock walls here—fun to watch for a while!

Continue straight for a good while. After 20–30 minutes, the road narrows as you enter a forest that fills with wild garlic in spring—the scent and the lush green carpet make it especially enchanting. The river here becomes even more calming, with the sound of water and soft moss everywhere.

After another 20 minutes, you’ll start to ascend gently. After crossing a bridge, the trail suddenly narrows. 

From here, it’s just 10–15 minutes to reach the Cascade du Dard. The waterfall is surprisingly tall, nestled in a natural amphitheater of loose rock. You don’t expect something so dramatic here—it's a good surprise!

Once you reach the waterfall, you’ve got options:

• Continue onward: You can climb the path next to the waterfall and keep going toward Croix, with its historic public washbasins, and then to Romainmôtier, a village famous for its Romanesque abbey. In summer, organ concerts are held in the abbey, and along the way you’ll pass a farm with horses and a self-service shop with local products. Once in Romainmôtier, just beyond the Tempus Fugit tower, you’ll find a local brewery with great craft beers.

• Return with a twist: Head back the same way, or take one of the alternate trails that lead up the cliffs on either side. I recommend taking the left-hand trail on the way back, which passes above the climbing cliffs and gives you wonderful views of the Nozon canyon. This variation adds maybe 10 minutes and is well worth it.

One other option is to go back the way you came and you can take several variations of the path going up the cliffs on either side. I can recommend the one of the left (when going back) so that you will pass above the cliffs where people climb and you'll have good views of the Nozon canyon. Doing the upill adds maybe 10 minutes to the route.