Arc-sous-Cicon walks

You don't need to be as fit as an Alpine hunter to climb the high peaks and enjoy breathtaking views. This is a walk that is accessible to all. This 10km or 15km hike will take you to Crêt Monniot (1141m) where, on a clear day, a superb 360° panorama awaits you: lomont, the Loue valley, the Jura plateaus, the Vosges, Mont Blanc and the Bernese Alps. You will love this landscape of chaux (the medieval name for high-altitude wasteland) with its sinkholes and sharp limestone pavement.

Set off to explore the Barchet Pond and its peat bog. This vast wetland is a remarkable reservoir of biodiversity. Its soil, permanently saturated with stagnant water, deprives the microorganisms responsible for decomposing organic matter of the oxygen they need for their metabolism. The plant litter mineralises slowly and partially. It then accumulates gradually, forming a poorly decomposed or undecomposed deposit: peat.

Climb Mont Pelé (1,045 m) through an open pine forest. At the summit, you will enjoy a 360° view. To the west, view Bugny and the Val des Usiers, the upper Jura mountain range. To the east, view of Crêt Monniot and, with a little luck, Mont Blanc will be visible on a clear day. To the north, above all, view of the magnificent upper Loue valley bordered by the cliffs of Moine de la Vallée and Roche de Hautepierre. Return via a superb rocky ridge with numerous viewpoints over the valley.

A pleasant and refreshing short walk leading to the source of the Loue, with several viewpoints along the way.

This short route, which starts off challenging with the climb up Petit Mont, offers a glimpse of the beauty of this valley so dear to Gustave Courbet: its high rocks glistening in the sun, its lost valleys with their gentle green curves, its cool, mossy gorges with deep caves, and the emerald and mysterious Loue river. And to conclude, this small village in the Comté region with its character and medieval statues.

The Loue Spring (tributary of the Doubs) is a resurgence of the Doubs. After journeying underground, it comes out into the open air at the bottom of a 'reculée' (steephead valley), at the foot of the rock face. It has cut deep into the limestone of the Jura massif, creating an enclosed valley, which I invite you to gaze at and contemplate from the many lookout points. You will also go down to the bottom of the gorge to discover this impressive resurgence.

Visit the picturesque village of Mouthier and hike along the Loue river in pleasant surroundings.

You will descend towards this regional tourist hotspot, one of the Doubs' major natural sites: the Source de la Loue. You will overlook the sumptuous and wild Gorges de Nouailles from the side of the cliff, then climb up a steep path to the Aiguillon de Brasse viewpoint. Finally, you will return to Ouhans through peaceful meadows and bright pine forests, stopping for a few moments at the Notre-Dame des Anges chapel to thank the heavens for being a resident of Franche-Comté

Formerly known as Roche du Soleil ( Sun Rock), because it is here that the sun, rising above the horizon, casts its first rays and bids its last farewell as it sets, it is through the pale or red hue with which it colours the rock that it predicts to the inhabitants whether the next day will bring serenity or tears from the sky. Discover two characterful towns in the Comté region and this royal viewpoint over the Loue valley, the Jura mountains and Mont Blanc.

Starting from one of the most beautiful villages in France, after a challenging climb, you will be rewarded by the cornices of the Rochers du Capucin, which offer what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful views of the upper Loue valley with the Hautepierre rock. These will guide you along wooded and steep paths to the Moine de la Vallée and the sumptuous and wild gorges of Nouailles. The return journey, under the watchful gaze of the monk, takes you through blossoming orchards.

From a steep rocky ledge, with numerous views over the Loue valley and Châteauvieux-les-Fossés, you will cross the beautiful, airy Tangelet forest, sharpening your sense of direction as you climb back up to the sunny plateau. You will visit the church of La Barêche, lost in the middle of the fields, and finish at the charming Sainte-Gertrude Chapel with its superb view of the valley.

The Rochers du Capucin cliff edge offers one of the most beautiful views of the upper Loue valley with the Roche de Hautepierre. It will guide you along wooded and steep paths to the Moine de la Vallée and the sumptuous and wild gorges of Nouailles.

Walk through the vineyards and along the Loue, passing through Lods, one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Set off to discover two small valleys of contrasting light and shade. Then, as the landscape becomes wilder, you will come to the Source Bleue and, nestled in the greenery, the Tuffière, resembling the mouth of a giant forest creature, ready to devour you, ending at the Cascade du Raffenot at the bottom of a typical valley of the Loue.

From this small fortified village, located on the old salt road overlooking the valley, you will descend towards Vergetolle, a charming little valley of contrasting light and shade. Then, the landscape becomes wilder as you head towards the Source Bleue and discover, nestled at the end of the valley, the Tuffière waterfall, resembling the mouth of a giant forest creature, ready to devour you.

Passing through beautiful pine forests, you will walk along a small gorge, home to waterfalls where the rotation of pebbles has carved the soft rock over thousands of years, forming basins known as chaudières in our Haut-Doubs region. Then, passing isolated farms nestled in the hollows of the pastures and surrounded by our good old Montbéliard cows, you will reach a panorama stretching south-west over the Chasseron, the Suchet, the Gras topped by the Rochers du Cerf, Switzerland to the south and, in fine weather, Mont Blanc.

From Les Gras, you will climb through beautiful, clear forests to the Rochers du Cerf ridge trail and its many viewpoints over the discreet Théverot valley, Mont Châteleu and the Swiss mountains. Return via the Swiss pastures and their concert of cowbells.

From the foot of a medieval calvary, head towards the Belvédère des Genevois in the small, remote valley of Martinvaux, passing through beautiful pine forests with slender trees. Then descend to the Source de la Reverotte and follow it to the Puits de la Doye and the Grotte de la Baume.

La Roche Barchey, "the pierced rock" in Celtic, where witches of yesteryear celebrated their demonic cult, offers a vast panorama of the Val de Vennes and the Haut-Doubs from its height of 988 metres. You will then descend through the beautiful fir forests of La Joux towards the more Catholic Sainte-Radegonde, who, it is said, fought an evil ghoul, perhaps descended from the rock, on the night of a sabbath, on the site where her chapel was built.

The Reverotte, a tributary of the Dessoubre, is full of charm along its twelve kilometres. You will discover some of its features as you descend from La Sommette towards its mossy and rocky banks.

In 1747, Pierre arrived in the village and settled in a nearby cave on the edge of the cliff, where he lived for 45 years, making tinder from oak agaric mushrooms and carving Christs and Virgins from lime wood for the inhabitants. Discover this viewpoint over the wild Reverotte valley and our cool fir forests. An ideal walk for a beautiful summer afternoon.