Delémont

Delémont is the capital of the youngest Swiss canton and the gateway to the Franches-Montagnes, a high limestone plateau of pastures, drystone walls and horses. The roads there are quiet to a degree that surprises cyclists from anywhere else in the country.

The town itself is small and the climate is harsher than the Mittelland — colder winters, real snow on the plateau, and cross-country trails that run when lower ground has nothing.