Читать книгу Switzerland's Jura Crest Trail. A two week trek from Zurich to Geneva онлайн

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Popular throughout Europe, the internationally recognised 12 ‘E-paths’ link numerous countries across the continent, with the E4 following 239km of the Jura Crest Trail, from Saint-Cergue to Dielsdorf. The E4 traces a 12,000km path linking Tarifa in Spain with Larnaca in Cyprus to provide the longest path in Europe. The European long-distance paths are identified by a blue shield encircled by yellow stars with a letter ‘E’ and the number of the trail in the centre.

Geology of the Jura mountains

The Jura mountains are part of the Alpine foreland providing some of the oldest rocks in the Alps. The Jura began its development in the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era, around 152 million years ago, when significant portions of Europe were covered by the Tethys Sea. Sediments became compressed on the ocean floor, forming rock: the abundant tropical marine life and fauna of this Mesozoic ocean can still be witnessed today in the fossil-rich limestone of the Jura. In fact, it was in the Jura that rocks of this age – ‘Jura limestone’, named by the famous geologist, Alexander von Humboldt – were first studied.