The Bois de Peu

This is a short hike on the outskirts of Besançon, but it offers the Cascade du Bout du Monde waterfall, an ancient Roman road, superb views of the Doubs valley, the Bois de Peu and its wooded valleys with slender trees and wild rocky crevices that cut into the cliffs. Not bad at all!

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.53 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 281 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 279 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 427 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 254 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Beure (25720)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.208282° / E 6.004852°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3323ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

There is a small car park on the right halfway up the dead-end road of Côte Blanche. There are no markings at the start.

(S/E) Go down the street to the stop sign and turn left onto Chemin de Maillot, then immediately right, passing in front of the Arbre de la Libération (Liberation Tree) to reach Rue de la Cascade, where you will find yellow-red and white-red markings. Turn left, walking along the wall of the beautiful house. At the fire hydrant, leave the street and take the small stony path on the left that runs alongside a vegetable garden and follow the markings to the waterfall. Unfortunately, the vegetation in spring and summer partially hides it. Continue to reach Chemin de Maillot, which is paved.

(1) Descend on the left for 250 metres, look for a sign on a telephone pole inviting you to climb to the right, at the corner of the wall, onto the Sert stone path and discover the ancient Roman road and its ruts carved into the stone (towards Bois de Peu). Shortly after the Roman road, take a sharp left turn. At a large stone with signposts, turn left again and continue climbing through the box trees and along the ledge (carefully) to the meadows and the viewpoint over the Doubs Valley, where there is a bench.

The marked path starts again from the bench and crosses the length of the pasture, but for now, continue straight along the edge of the trees bordering the cliffs and, after about fifteen metres, you will find a small, discreet path on your left that continues to follow the cliffs and leads you to Baume Martin (a baume, from the Gallic word balma, is a rock shelter). Turn back and when you see the bench again, turn your back on it and go straight across the meadow to reach a fork in the path. Take the grassy path sloping slightly down to the right. You will arrive at a hunting car park.

(2) Continue straight ahead along this well-paved path, following the markings (yellow-red, Route VTT 114).

(3) At the MTB Route 114 sign, the path splits into three: take the grassy path in the middle, despite the yellow-red cross on the ground indicating that you should not, leaving the markings behind. You will cross a fir forest, gradually approaching the edge of the cliffs. At signs no. 29, 30 and 11, at another three-way fork, continue straight ahead, passing sign 30. A little further on, leave a cart track on your right that climbs perpendicularly up the hillside, and continue straight ahead to the pylon and a viewpoint over Casamène, Velotte and Mont de Chaudanne (at least when there is little foliage).

(4) This is the most difficult part of the description, despite my attempts to make my explanations as clear as possible. It will require more attention and a little sense of direction.
Turn back about a hundred metres and look for a large beech tree on your right, the largest tree on this side of the path ( see photo).
After this tree, turn immediately right, at an angle of about 30 degrees to the path, moving closer to the edge of the cliff, to quickly find a small, moderately visible path.

Carefully follow the edge of the cliffs andyou will discover a beautiful forest with slender trees and superb rocky crevices carved into the cliffs, without venturing onto the steep parts for safety reasons. The path was very passable in early spring; in other seasons, you may find yourself caught in some brambles.

(5) You will come to a cattle track at a right angle. Turn right towards the edge for a view of the valley. You will see a small boundary stone and a sign marked No. 28. Take the path that continues along the cliffs. You will cross a boxwood grove and continue straight ahead for about 200 metres. You will reach a steep and slippery cart track, which you will descend to the right, carefully making your way to the edge of the promontory for a view of Rosemont and the Côte de Planoise.
Turn your back on the valley and climb back up about fifty steps, keeping the path you came down in your sights. You will see a path on your right that will take you back up the hillside, passing once again in front of a beautiful rocky crevice. Climb up this south-facing wooded hillside, passing either to the right or left of a hunting lookout (Post 3). Continue climbing with your back to it and after 150 m (6) you will find a perpendicular track (no. 24) which you will follow up to the left. It widens and joins the hiking trail, which you will take on the right to reach the hunting car park.

(2) At the hunting lodge, do not enter the meadow, but turn right onto the last path closest to the edge, even though it is marked with crosses indicating that you are not allowed to go there. You are now leaving the marked trail again. Two hundred metres further on, you will come to a crossroads with several paths; continue straight ahead and 100 metres further on, at another crossroads, take the path opposite you, ignoring the paths to the right and left. You will once again walk along the cliffs, with open spaces and beautiful views of the Arguel hill, where you can try to imagine it crowned with the old feudal castle, sadly destroyed, overlooking the Doubs valley, the Fort de Planoise and Rosemont, and the new town of Planoise. You will come to another path, which you should take down to the right. Pass the water tower and you will arrive at the first houses of Beure. Finally, walk down the Chemin de la Côte Blanche to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 275 m - Small car park on Chemin de la Côte Blanche.
  2. 1 : km 0.66 - alt. 290 m - Bout du Monde Waterfall
  3. 2 : km 1.91 - alt. 417 m - Hunting cabin
  4. 3 : km 2.56 - alt. 426 m - Bois de Peu, signpost no. 28
  5. 4 : km 2.99 - alt. 419 m - Cliff edge
  6. 5 : km 3.37 - alt. 410 m - Forest marker and sign No. 28
  7. 6 : km 3.87 - alt. 406 m - Path No. 24
  8. S/E : km 5.53 - alt. 275 m - Côte Blanche

Notes

The route includes cliff-top paths and unsecured viewpoints. The paths are rocky and slippery in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended, as many paths can be very slippery in wet weather.

This hike is best done in late autumn or early spring, when the leaves are sparse and allow for a wider view without getting too close to the edge of the cliffs, and to fully appreciate the Cascade du Bout du Monde waterfall. In leafy seasons, if you are curious, be careful not to get too close to the edge of the cliffs. Avoid periods of heavy rain, which could make some of the steep paths slippery. Not suitable for young children or occasional walkers who are not in good physical shape and do not have a good sense of direction, as much of the route is not marked.

Worth a visit

BEURE: Lucien Roy Military Museum. The Lucien Roy Museum is a private museum located in the town of Beure, 5 km from Besançon. It is run by an association (under the 1901 law), made up entirely of volunteers, and is only open on request for groups (minimum 5 people) and on commemorative days: around 8 May and 11 November. Every year, it opens its doors free of charge for Heritage Days in September. Visits are guided by a history teacher, military personnel or gunsmiths.

BEURE: The Church of Saint-Hippolyte and its superb statue of Saint-Vernier, patron saint of winegrowers, in polychrome wood dating from 1539.
Saint-Vernier

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
michel.francois
michel.francois

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

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Flo25
Flo25

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

The walk is very pleasant, until you have to leave the marked trail. Between the trees that fell during the winter and the vegetation that must have grown considerably since this route was published, it is difficult to find your way, even with a map. Only the number of footbridges you cross allows you to follow the route on the map.
Nevertheless, there are some beautiful views and a lovely waterfall at the start of the hike.

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piccolopripri
piccolopripri

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Yes, some sections require caution and good footwear. If necessary, stay away from the edges of cliffs to minimise risks and anxiety.

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sauvagin
sauvagin

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Nice hike, as mentioned below, but be sure to wear footwear suitable for the terrain, especially for the section after the beech trees where you walk along the edge of the cliff...
Otherwise, the hike is well marked and very pleasant.
Thanks to the author!

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CALINETTE
CALINETTE

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 07, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Good evening
Today we went on the Bois de Peu hike. It's a nice walk to see the waterfall, but it's true that it's best to wear hiking boots because the ground is quite slippery and there are quite a few ups and downs. One small thing we didn't notice was that you have to look for a large beech tree on the right, the tallest tree on that side. Otherwise, nothing to report except that it's a nice hike. And with a bit of luck, you might see some animals. Everything is well explained except for the beech tree, which we didn't see.
So, very good.

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Bonavent family
Bonavent family

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Avoid hiking when it is wet and/or has rained the day before: the terrain is very slippery and steep in places – hiking boots (trainers are not sufficient) and walking sticks are essential.
We had to turn back for this reason.

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HNS
HNS

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 17, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike for couples, well described, ideal in early spring, lots of animal tracks, saw one pheasant; the opportunity to observe from the top of the ridges as there is still little vegetation obscuring the view... pure bliss. Corresponds to part of a trail des Forts completed in the past, but this walk is not difficult. Unfortunately, there was some rubbish left behind by irresponsible people. Recommended for all levels.

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