Minigolf in French-speaking Switzerland: where to play as a family, from Lausanne to the Jura

What minigolf is, and why it works so well for families

Minigolf is a miniature golf course, usually 18 short lanes in concrete or artificial grass, where you putt a ball towards a hole around a series of obstacles. A round lasts between 45 and 90 minutes.

Its real strength comes down to one sentence: it is one of the few games where a 6-year-old can beat their father without anyone cheating. Strength counts for nothing, and experience barely counts beyond the first few lanes. It all comes down to precision and a little luck. That natural handicap is why the game stays tense right to the end, and why children ask to play again.

The rest follows: no booking in almost every case, no equipment to buy (club and ball are provided), a price of between 3 and 8 francs per player, and an open-air course where you stroll at your own pace.

In French-speaking Switzerland there are around fifteen courses, almost all of them by a lake or in a wooded park.

Contents

• Minigolf in Lausanne: Bellerive, in Vidy
• Around Lake Geneva
• Lakes of Neuchâtel and Morat
• Fribourg and La Gruyère
• The Neuchâtel mountains and the Bernese Jura
• In Valais: the resort minigolf
• How much a round costs
• Playing in the evening
• Strollers and wheelchairs
• When the season opens and closes
• With a 4-year-old
• Common mistakes
• Special cases

Minigolf in Lausanne: Bellerive, in Vidy

For minigolf in Lausanne, the address is the Minigolf de Bellerive, avenue Gustave Doret, in the Vidy-Bellerive district.

The course is in the open air, a few metres from Lake Geneva, surrounded by greenery. Children play from around age 4 with a suitable club, and the smallest hit their first balls with a helping hand. Allow 45 to 90 minutes depending on the children’s ages. You pay per round, per player, with child and adult prices to check on the official website before you come.

Getting there. Public transport to Ouchy or Vidy, then a 10 to 15 minute walk by the water. By car, the paid car parks at Bellerive and Vidy are nearby. The ground is flat, so it is stroller-friendly, but some sections are gravel: closed shoes recommended.

The local reflex. Bring some cash in case payment options are limited, and a warm layer even in summer. The wind off the lake at Vidy can take you by surprise in late afternoon.

If Bellerive is closed or packed. The course is in the open air: after rain, opening may be limited or cancelled. The easiest fallbacks from Lausanne are by train along Lake Geneva, towards Villeneuve or Montreux, both by the water.

Follow the round with a stroll along the Vidy quays: it is the natural extension of the outing, and it costs nothing.

Around Lake Geneva

Minigolf de l’Ouchettaz, in Villeneuve. 18 concrete lanes by the lake, under tall trees that provide precious shade in summer. From around age 6, playable earlier with an adult. Prices recorded in 2024, to be confirmed for 2026: CHF 7 for adults from 15, CHF 5 for children up to 14, CHF 6 for students and seniors. Kiosk, deckchairs, free parking. The course is lit in the evening. A charming detail: the CGN landing stage is about 400 metres away, so you can arrive by boat.

Mini-Golf de Montreux. 18 artificial-grass lanes between the Villa Florentine and the Montreux Palace, renovated in 2022. From age 4. CHF 8 for adults, CHF 5 for children under 16. Open from mid-March to the end of October, from 10.30am to 7pm at the start and end of the season, until 10pm in high summer, 7 days a week including public holidays. Ten minutes’ walk from the CFF station. Kiosk on site. The setting, with its palm trees facing Lake Geneva, is the most exotic in the selection.

Minigolf du Lignon, in Vernier. This is the only outdoor minigolf in the canton of Geneva, an 18-hole course right next to the Lignon swimming pool. From age 6, free for under-6s. You buy your ticket and pick up club and ball at the pool’s cash desk, which means you can combine a round and a swim in the same outing. TPG buses 7, 9 and 28, Lignon-Cité stop. Open from mid-May to the end of September, in line with the pool season.

Lakes of Neuchâtel and Morat

Minigolf La Canebière, in Neuchâtel. 18 open-air holes right on the quays, at quai Robert-Comtesse. From age 4 with an adult, from around CHF 6 for a child. Lit course, adjoining bar-kiosk, toilets on site. Close to the CFF station and served by public transport.

Minigolf de Morat. By the lake, at the foot of the medieval old town, a few minutes’ walk from the Morat/Murten CFF station. From age 4. CHF 8 for adults and CHF 6 for children, with one franc off per person for groups of 10 or more. Note that a lost ball is charged at CHF 3. A bistro on site serves drinks and ice cream. Open from March to October in dry weather. The winning combination: the round, then the old town ramparts, then the ice cream.

Minigolf de la Rose, in Estavayer-le-Lac. 18 lanes below the old town, right by the beach and the campsite, with a view of the castle. The site is run by the Crêperie Vent d’Ouest, which acts as reception. This is the course with the most detailed price list: CHF 8 for adults from 15, CHF 7 for students, apprentices and pensioners, CHF 6 for children from 5, and CHF 4 for under-5s. Groups of 10 or more: 10% discount.

Minigolf des Pommiers, in Cudrefin. 18 lanes completely renovated in March 2024, in a green, quiet setting a few hundred metres from Lake Neuchâtel. From age 4. Prices are not published online, so call ahead. Adjoining restaurant with a dish of the day and a barbecue service depending on the season. Open Wednesday and Thursday 9am–10pm, Friday 9am–11pm, Saturday 10am–11pm, Sunday 10am–10pm, and 7 days a week in July and August. The only drawback: Cudrefin is not served by train.

Fribourg and La Gruyère

Minigolf du Jura, in Fribourg. 18 holes in a green corner of the Jura district, route de la Broye. From age 4 with an adult. CHF 8 for adults, CHF 6 for students and pensioners, CHF 5 for children under 16. Cash only, both for entry and at the kiosk. Open from 18 March to 31 October: Monday to Friday 2pm–7pm and weekends 10am–7pm at the start and end of the season, daily 10am–10pm from 1 June to 31 August. The last round starts an hour before closing, so allow some margin.

Parc de loisirs de Moléson. Minigolf here costs CHF 6 per adult and CHF 4 per child, and it shares the site with a rail toboggan and a dévalkart track. It is the right address when siblings don’t want the same thing: some hit the ball, others hurtle down the slope. Free parking five minutes’ walk away, buses from Gruyères or Bulle.

The Neuchâtel mountains and the Bernese Jura

Mini-Golf de La Chaux-de-Fonds. 18 holes in a 3,000 m² wooded park, rue des Mélèzes. From around age 5 to 6. The obstacles have character, with a “Vésuve” to clear and a 17-metre “Long-Drive” where you really have to strike the ball. A table football and a table tennis table are available free of charge, which saves the end of the round when younger children lose interest. Kiosk-restaurant with grilled food and themed evenings. Open 7 days a week from 11am to midnight, from April to mid-September. Prices not published. In rainy weather, phone before coming.

Minigolf de Reconvilier. The Minigolf Club Orval, right in the centre of the village, a stone’s throw from the CFF station on the Bienne–Tavannes/Tramelan line. From around age 4. This is the cheapest course in the selection: CHF 3 for a child, CHF 5 for an apprentice or student, CHF 6 for an adult or senior. Lost ball CHF 2. Kiosk with drinks and ice cream. Open from 1 April to 18 October 2026, and daily from 2pm to 10pm from 4 July to 16 August. The club hosts national-level competitions, which is a chance to show children that this little game is also a real sport.

In Valais: the resort minigolf

Two mountain courses complete the map, and they work differently from those in the lowlands: they are add-on activities, to slip in between two walks rather than to plan a day around.

Minigolf de Vercorin. 18 holes in the heart of the resort, near the top station of the gondola from Chalais. As a family from age 4 to 5, around 45 minutes to an hour per round. Paid entry, prices on site, no booking. Open in summer and autumn. Combine it with the Sentier des Marmottes.

Mini-golf de Grimentz. A course in the heart of the village, among the old raccards. As a family from age 4 to 5, club and ball provided. It has one decisive advantage: it is free with the Pass Anniviers Liberté. If you are staying in the val d’Anniviers, it is a round that costs nothing. Combine it with the village pump track and playground.

How much a round costs

Minigolf remains one of the cheapest outings in the catalogue. Here are the prices published by the courses in the selection.

Prices for Lausanne, Le Lignon, Cudrefin, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Vercorin are not published online: ask on site or by phone.

What that means for a family of four (two adults, two children): 18 francs in Reconvilier, 20 in Moléson, 24 in Villeneuve, 26 in Montreux and Fribourg, 28 in Morat and Estavayer.

The gap between the cheapest and the most expensive is ten francs. In other words, price shouldn’t be your main criterion: choose instead on the journey, the shade and what you will do after the round.

Two points to watch all the same. Lost balls are charged in Morat (CHF 3) and Reconvilier (CHF 2): remind children not to hit towards the lake. And Fribourg only takes cash, which is enough to spoil an improvised outing.

Playing in the evening

Here is the angle few parents know about, and it is probably the best way to experience minigolf in high summer: wait for the heat to drop.

Several courses are lit and open late:

• La Chaux-de-Fonds: open until midnight, 7 days a week, from April to mid-September. The latest in the selection.
• Montreux: until 10pm in high season, 7 days a week.
• Fribourg: until 10pm from 1 June to 31 August, last round an hour before.
• Reconvilier: 2pm to 10pm from 4 July to 16 August.
• Cudrefin: until 10pm or 11pm depending on the day.
• Villeneuve and Neuchâtel: lit courses, with extended hours in summer.

And one experience apart: night minigolf in Cudrefin, played with fluorescent balls and head torches provided on site. Check which evenings are offered and book. It is the kind of outing children still talk about weeks later.

Playing at 8pm in July solves three problems at once: the heat on a course with no shade, the weekend crowds, and children hanging around before bedtime.

Strollers and wheelchairs

This information is rarely given, and yet it is decisive when you come with a baby or a child with a disability. Three courses in the selection are clearly accessible:

• Le Lignon, in Vernier: the entire course was designed to be accessible to wheelchair users. It is the most explicit of all, so stroller access is very easy.
• La Canebière, in Neuchâtel: the site is wheelchair accessible.
• Grimentz: the course is described as accessible.

Bellerive in Lausanne is on flat ground, so it is stroller-friendly, with a few gravel sections.

For all the other courses in the selection, accessibility is not confirmed. If it matters to you, call before setting off rather than relying on a web page.

When the season opens and closes

Minigolf is a fine-weather activity, and the dates vary more than you might think.

• Fribourg: from 18 March to 31 October, the longest season in the selection
• Montreux: from mid-March to the end of October
• Morat: from March to October
• Reconvilier: from 1 April to 18 October 2026
• La Chaux-de-Fonds: from April to mid-September
• Le Lignon: from mid-May to the end of September, the shortest, because it follows the pool season

Remember the logic: town and lakeside courses open early and close late, while courses attached to another facility follow that facility’s calendar.

As for the weather, minigolf is played in dry conditions almost everywhere. Le Lignon can close without notice, La Chaux-de-Fonds asks for a phone call in rainy weather, and Bellerive limits or cancels opening when the ground is wet. One useful exception: Cudrefin lends out rain capes so you can finish the round dry.

With a 4-year-old

Most courses give 4 as the entry age. That is realistic, provided you adapt the rules. Here is what works.

Set a limit on strokes. Six strokes per lane, then you pick up the ball and move on. Without this house rule, a 4-year-old can get stuck on one lane while the queue builds up behind, and the irritation spoils the round.

Don’t count the score, or count it badly. At that age, the score is of no interest. Count the holes completed instead, or nothing at all.

Let them putt with both hands. Correct technique will come later. The immediate goal is for the ball to move and for the child to see the link between their action and the result.

Choose a course with a plan B on site. La Chaux-de-Fonds with its free table football and table tennis, Estavayer with its beach, Le Lignon with its pool, Grimentz with its playground. When attention fades around the twelfth hole, you have a way out.

Look for the toddler rate. Estavayer charges CHF 4 for under-5s, and Le Lignon is free for under-6s.

Common mistakes

• Coming in the middle of the day in high summer. Most courses have little shade. Villeneuve, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Estavayer are the leafiest; elsewhere, go for late afternoon.
• Setting off without cash. Fribourg only takes cash. Elsewhere, kiosks and lost balls are often paid in coins.
• Arriving thirty minutes before closing. In Fribourg, the last round starts an hour before. Elsewhere, 18 holes cannot be finished in twenty minutes.
• Counting the score strictly with little ones. It is the leading cause of tears on a minigolf course.
• Not checking that day’s opening. Several sites don’t publish opening hours online, and some close without notice in the rain.
• Forgetting that lost balls are charged. Two to three francs in Morat and Reconvilier, enough to push the bill up when you play by the water.

Special cases

If you are looking for minigolf in Lausanne. Bellerive, in Vidy, by Lake Geneva. Reachable from Ouchy or Vidy by public transport, from age 4, flat ground.

If you don’t have a car. Morat, Reconvilier, Neuchâtel, Estavayer-le-Lac, Fribourg, Montreux and La Chaux-de-Fonds are all a few minutes’ walk from a CFF station. Le Lignon is reachable by TPG bus. Cudrefin is the only course in the selection with no rail link.

If you are looking for the cheapest outing. Reconvilier, at 3 francs per child and 6 francs per adult. And if you are staying in the val d’Anniviers, Grimentz is free with the Pass Anniviers Liberté.

If you want to fill a whole half-day. Le Lignon, to combine minigolf and the pool on the same site. Moléson, to combine minigolf, rail toboggan and dévalkart. Estavayer, for the beach and the crêperie.

If your children are very different ages. Moléson and La Chaux-de-Fonds. In both cases there is something else to do on site when the younger ones lose interest.

If you have a stroller. Le Lignon, Neuchâtel or Grimentz, the three courses described as accessible.

If the weather is uncertain. Cudrefin, with its rain capes lent on site. Otherwise, save minigolf for another day: it is a dry-weather activity.

If you want to avoid the crowds. Play in the evening. La Chaux-de-Fonds until midnight, Montreux and Fribourg until 10pm in high season.

In short

Minigolf is the easiest family outing to improvise in the fine season: no booking, a few francs each, and a game in which age gives no advantage.

If you were to remember only four addresses: Bellerive in Vidy for minigolf in Lausanne by the lake, Reconvilier for the unbeatable price, La Chaux-de-Fonds for opening until midnight and the free table football, Cudrefin for its night rounds with fluorescent balls.

Bring cash, aim for late afternoon, set a limit of six strokes per lane with the youngest, and keep some time for the walk afterwards. It is often the walk that children talk about on the way home.

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