La Prise

You know those places you sometimes hear of? Little known places, hidden away in secret corners of the world, where only the lucky few get to stay and that all others can only dream of? Well, this is one of them, and we were lucky enough to find it. La Prise B&B is tucked away in a quiet meadow on the mountain overlooking Auvernier, though the view hides most of the human habitation in favour of forests, Lac Neuchatel, and a vast array of mountains in the far distance. It's a little drive (or a nice hike) through dense woods up the mountain from the villages below - about 2 kilometers even from Montmollin - and the first thing we noticed on arrival was the spectacular view. The couple who run the B&B greeted us warmly, and were very accommodating - giving us tips about restaurants in the neighbourhood, and even some advice about a route to take to Geneva (where we wanted to go visit CERN the day after we arrived). Over the course of our three night stay with them, we became very impressed by their dedication to their guests. The apartment was spacious and comfortable, the beds were good, and the bedroom window gave us a view of the sun rising over the mountains on the far side of the lake, still covered in fog. Breakfast was lovely and served in the dining area or at the tables outside with the aforementioned spectacular view, dependent on the weather. If we ever visit this region of Switzerland again, La Prise will be at the top of our list - and this comes from a family who generally avoids staying twice at the same place because we like to experience new things.