Warmer days are arriving soon and the Narcissus and Daffodils too. Read this post and go out on the very first sunny days of spring. This post give you hints where to go to watch the Narcissus and Daffodils. To see so many flowers at the same time blows your eyes, you don’t need to be interested about flowers to enjoy the walks.
Narcissus, Daffodils or Jonquil?
It can be really confusing. In fact Daffodils are part of Narcissus species. In french you would say Narcisses for the white one and Jonquilles for the yellow one.
If you want to know more about the difference between Narcissus of Daffodils, check the sfgate.com page. You can find even more details about Swiss species on narcisses.ch (in french).
Where to go to watch Narcissus or Daffodils?
Narcissus radiiflorus in the Riviera above Montreux
The period to watch the white narcissus in the Leman riviera begins in May, it can last until June. To check the actual situation you can check the narcissus forecast on the website narcisses.com. You also have some information on narcisses.ch.
I recommend you to go to les Pléiades so you can also enjoy carnivor plants at the “Marais des Tenasses”. Bellow is a Komoot tour I did in 2020.
Daffodils or Narcissus pseudonarcissus in Eclépens
Also called Wild Daffodils and Jonquilles in French, their colours are yellow. A good place to watch them is in Eclépens (between Lausanne and Yverdon-les-Bains).
You can easily access the place by taking the train to Eclépens-Gare. Then with only a few minutes walk, you will see yellow everywhere in the forest. From mid February to end of March, the Daffodils literally cover the forest.
Many small paths will take you between the daffodils, large rocks, trees and other flowers.
Warning, it is forbidden to pick-up a single flower in Eclépens.
Here’s a Komoot tour I did in 2020 in Eclépens. It will takes you over the Mormont Hill on places without Daffodils. You will find most of the Daffodils near the departure point.
Daffodils / Narcissus pseudonarcissus on the Jura mountains
Another place to watch the Daffodils, is the Jura Mountains. Head up to “La Vue des Alpes (between Neuchâtel and La Chaux-de-Fonds) in order to find thousands of Daffodils in the mountain meadows. As it is higher in elevation, you might find the flowers a bit later than in Eclépens.
According to an old post on arcinfo.ch, you can apparently pick-up a limited number of daffodils in Neuchâtel or Jura county. However inform yourself before to do so (I will not take any responsibility in case of problem). La Vue des Alpes is also one of the stop of the Jura Crest Trail, so take the opportunity and enjoy a hike.
Take with you
A macro lens and a flash if you want to do close-up. You can also simply take your favorite lens, a wide angle or tele lens. With so many Narcissus you can compose your photographs as you want.
You might plan a small walk, but being distracted by so many flowers, you might stay outside longer than you thought. So take a snack, water and even a blanket to enjoy the first days of spring.
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