7 Tales on a Walk: Arthur in the Clouds

Arthur was a dreamy little fox who was always getting lost. One day, seeing him wander off from their den, his very worried parents gave him this advice:
- Arthur, if you go for a walk, take a good look at the path you take on the way there. Look at the trees, the shape of the stones and the landscape. That way, you won’t get lost and you’ll always find your way back.
Let the children look for the clues and, above all, don’t get lost yourselves.

Details

2657589
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 1.99 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 0h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 66 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 65 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 843 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 788 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Head towards the village of Étival, 15 km north-east of Moirans-en-Montagne.
Park near the telephone box, which serves as a book box.

(S/E) Head to the end of the small street and turn right towards the cemetery.
At the cemetery, you’ll find the entrance gate on your left.
Go through the entrance gate, remembering to look for and note the clue that will help guide you along the route. At the edge of the forest, head to the junction of the circular route.

(1) Go round the forest on the right, keeping an eye out for the clues that serve as signposts. Make a wide circular loop to the left to reach the bovine head.

(2) Continue to the left, always looking out for the markers. You’ll reach the playground and picnic area. Continue down the slope to find the shrew, the flower or (guess what?), it’s up to you to find the right path here.
From the playground, don’t do as Arthur did – don’t get lost – and find your way if you want to get back before nightfall.

(1) Find the book telling the story of Arthur in the clouds and continue on your way towards the entrance gate.
At the cemetery, return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 811 m - Gateway
  2. 1 : km 0.29 - alt. 791 m - Crossroads of the circular loop
  3. 2 : km 1.12 - alt. 834 m - Tête de vache
  4. S/E : km 1.99 - alt. 811 m - Gateway

Notes

- To view the car park: click here
- To view the route profile video: click here
- Suitable for young children. Pushchairs are possible but difficult in places
Watch out for ticks,
A common occurrence in the Jura forests, ticks are voracious and can be found everywhere.
Don’t forget to check yourself over after the walk.
- ‘7 Tales on a Walk’ trails on video: click here

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
3.7 / 5
Azimut71
Azimut71

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

At the picnic area, you need a bit of a nose for finding the right path. The end of the descent is a bit of a maze (with tracks everywhere), but you can’t get lost there.

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Cherry
Cherry

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : Not used / Not applicable
Very busy route : No

The first part of the walk takes you across a pasture; right at the first bend, we came face to face with a herd of about fifteen cows striding purposefully towards us, forcing us to flee and turn back before we’d even reached the forest!
Quite a scare with young children...

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Timgad
Timgad

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely little walk to do with children. BUT it’s best to have read the story first. The book containing the seven stories (set in seven different locations around Moirans) is on sale at tourist information offices in the region.

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Paname
Paname

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 08, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk for the whole family, alternating between open countryside and woodland. The clues are beautifully crafted and very poetic. I highly recommend it. Our grandchildren, aged 7 and 4, ran the whole way along the trail looking for the clues. There are a total of seven storytelling walks to do in the area. We’ve done two of them and had a lovely time with our little girls. We’ll do more if we come back to the area.

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