If you’ve never heard of Le Brassus before, that’s okay. I suspect most people haven’t. Le Brassus has two claims to fame. First, is that in the late 1960s the skeleton of a mammut was discovered that was completely intact. The original is currently exhibited in Lausanne, while a life-size replica marks the location of the discovery in Le Brassus itself. The village’s second claim to fame is that it is home to the Audemars Piguet watch makers that are best known for their custom made time pieces that sell for as much as USD780’000.

Adjacent to Audemars Piguet HQ is the Hôtel des Horlogers. From what I understand, the idea behind the hotel was that persons visiting the watch maker with a commission could stay at the hotel next door.

Le Brassus is located about 30 minutes out of Morges on a plateau at 1000 metres above sea level in a very idyllic setting in the Jura mountain range.

The architecture of the building is interesting. It is intended to blend into the hill it was built against.

The interior of the hotel is very sleek and elegant.

Given that there’s hardly anything to do in Le Brassus, unless you’re into hiking or mountain biking, the hotel has a very large spa area.

The rooms are spacious and nicely appointed. The main feature of the room is the large floor to ceiling window that runs along the full length of the room and offers a nice view of the green fields outside.

The finish of the furnishings in the hotel is very nice. And it looks as though the hotel hasn’t been open that long. There are hardly any signs of wear and tear.

There is currently one restaurant in the hotel. The presentation of the food is nice, but the menu is limited and the cooking, while good, is nothing special. It’s not bad, but I wouln’t go there just for the meal.

Although I must say that the dessert with the little white flowers was very elegantly presented.

If you’re looking for the facilities and entertainment offered by a large ski resort, you may want to not visit Le Brassus. It’s a small, one-horse-town that runs at its own slow pace, which is what I liked about it. So if rest and some good peace and quiet is what you’re after, then this is likely the place for you.

If you’re looking for more professional photos of the landscapes around Le Brassus, I recommend you stop and take a closer look the next time you come across a billboard advert for Audemars Piguet. Their current campaign features landscapes from the area that highlight just how outlandish the place looks and feels. If you look carefully, you may also find a reference to Le Brassus itself.