123. Le Locle Town Hall (NE)

The Town Hall of Le Locle, designed in 1917 by Vevey architect Charles Gunthert, is located in the canton of Neuchâtel and is undoubtedly considered one of the most beautiful buildings in western Switzerland.

The building harmoniously combines different architectonic styles such as Neo-Renaissance, Heimatstil and Art Nouveau. Its architecture, sculptures and paintings make it a total work of art. The fresco on the main façade of the City Hall, painted in 1922 by Ernest Biéler, evokes the legendary work of the Sun cult, as expressed in the epigraph referring to the city’s watchmaking tradition, ‘Men have divided the course of the Sun, determined the hours’.

The building is located in the heart of the city and its construction, interrupted during the First World War, required the installation of 1’244 wooden poles, each 9 to 10 metres long. Inside, in addition to numerous offices of the municipal administration, the Town Hall also hosts the Municipal Council Hall, the General Council Hall and the Wedding Hall. The building can be visited throughout the year, seven days a week.

Inauguration: the 18th of March 2023

More information: www.lelocle.ch