La Ballade à Béatrix with Kids: An Enchanted Forest Walk in St-Cergue

La Ballade à Béatrix is one of the most magical family walks in Switzerland, taking children on an enchanting journey through the forests above St-Cergue in the Jura Vaudois. Along the trail, families discover wooden sculptures, storytelling elements and interactive surprises that bring the local legend of Béatrix to life. Combining nature, imagination and adventure, this family-friendly walk is perfect for young explorers and one of the best things to do in Vaud with kids. (Updated: June 2026)

Back on Swiss soil and on Saturday we decided to head up to Saint-Cergue to follow the "ballade à Béatrix" trail.

The path opens out into a large clearing at the top with beautiful views across the lake below

When you arrive in the village you take the turning opposite Au Vieux Château and there is space for about 5 cars to park at the base of the trail.

The last time we did the walk the path was covered in heavy snow, so we found it relatively easy this time without having to avoid icy patches and worrying about falling with the babies on our backs.

There’s a fairly steep rocky climb to start but then the path opens out into a large clearing at the top with beautiful views across the lake below. There are tables available to sit and enjoy a drink, and we often take snacks to eat at the top before head down - it's a great spot for a picnic and we could see people had been bbq-ing up there too although we weren't sure if that was permitted. It’s a nice shady walk for a sunny day and when it’s clear you are see for miles. It was also magical in the snow if a little more challenging.

It took us just under an hour to complete the walk yesterday including a brief break at the top and a couple of off-trail detours, and we’d describe it as fairly easy with a few steep patches, but we managed it comfortably with the baby carriers and Jude did a good job despite not really being in a walking kind of mood.

Definitely not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs due to the rocky paths, it’s a lovely short walk and definitely worth a try.

Information

Parking : Yes - only 5 places

Toilets : No

Baby Change Facilities : No

Accessibility : Not suitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs

The word "Ballade" is exceptionally spelt with two "l"'s in this case. This is because this route owes its name to a ballad, in other words, to a song.