The view of the Swiss Jura.
Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott
The name of the period in the Mesozoic Era originates in the mountain range dividing Switzerland and France.
When one thinks of Switzerland, one thinks of mountains. And when one thinks of Swiss mountains, one thinks of Europe’s highest mountain range, the Alps. However, the Swiss territory also boasts others. Although far less well known than the Alps, the Jura massif is in fact a true symbol of western Switzerland and, lying between the cantons of Geneva and Basel, forms an arc on the border between Switzerland and France.
What few people know – even those familiar with the Jura – is that, apart from giving its name to the canton, it is from Jura that the term Jurassic is derived.
The Jurassic, understood as a proper name and not just as an adjective, is, together with the Triassic and Cretaceous, one of the three periods that make up the Mesozoic Era, between the Palaeozoic and Cenozoic, so roughly 65 million-250 million years ago.
Celtic origins
The name was given to this particular historical period in honour of the extensive limestones dating back to this period and jutting out right on the border between France, Germany and Switzerland.
The word Jura derives in turn from the Celtic root jor (Latinised as Juria), meaning forest – referring to the fact that the mountains were covered with forests.
Winter landscape near Brassus, in the Vaud Jura.
Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott
Even today, 47% of the Swiss Jura territory is covered by forests, while 43% is occupied by agricultural land. Only 8% has any kind of settlement.
In addition to covering French and German territory, the Jura mountain range extends into several cantons in western Switzerland, mainly Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Bern, Jura, Solothurn, Basel Country and Aargau. The region also borders the Plateau region to the east and covers 10% of the total area of Switzerland. At its foot are some of the largest lakes in Switzerland: Lake Geneva, Lake Biel and Lake Neuchâtel.
The highest peak of the Swiss Jura – at 1,679 metres – is located in canton Vaud: Mont Tendre. La Dôle (1,677 metres) is the westernmost mountain in Switzerland and from its summit you can see Lake Geneva and the Alps.
The Creux-du-Van.
Keystone / Jean-Christophe Bott
The Chasseral and Creux-du-Van
If we want to identify something that represents the Swiss Jura, we have to mention the Chasseral and the striking Creux-du-Van. At an altitude of 1,607 metres, the Chasseral forms a continuous relief that dominates the Jura landscape. From its summit, one can admire the Franches-Montagnes, the Swiss Plateau and the Alps.
Finally, the Creux-du-Van is a glacial cirque of imposing proportions. Its rock walls reach a height of 160 metres and crown a valley basin four kilometres long and one kilometre wide.
Edited by Samuel Jaberg. Translated from Italian by AI/ts
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