Welcome to Villars-le-Sec on the Franco-Swiss plateau of Ajoie.

Departure from the car park at Place de l'École opposite the church. Address: Impasse Rimbot, 90100 Villars-le-Sec

The hike is marked with a red ring. In Switzerland, the trail is marked with a hiker pictogram, with the red ring only appearing at changes of direction.

(S/E) From the car park, turn right in front of the school and follow the main street for 200 metres.

(1) At the first crossroads, turn left and take Rue du Maira. At the first Y-junction, take the right-hand path, pass a cross, then leave the right-hand path and walk alongside a farm.

(2) At the border marker, continue straight ahead, enter Swiss territory and follow the markers. Just after the picnic area, turn right and 150 m further on, you will come to a crossroads with a footpath sign.

(3) Turn left towards Bure Le Maira. Just before the expressway, turn right onto the path, descend slightly and pass under the viaduct. Go up the switchbacks and turn right at the top, heading north-east to the bend, then south to find a crossroads.

(4) Turn left at the crossroads and continue through the forest.

(5) At the next crossroads, follow the sign for "Le Maira". Leave a path on your left, continue north, and take the next left. The signposting is helpful in this section. At the exit of the forest, at the cross, turn right.

(6) Arrive at the village of Le Maira. Turn left, pass in front of the chapel and take the first path on the right. See the descriptive panels on biodiversity. At the grove, follow the markings that indicate the path on the right and then the one on the left. Cross a green forest and arrive at the boundary marker.

(7) Turn right and follow the border. Look carefully at each of the seven boundary stones to see the bear and the fleur-de-lis.

(8) At the last marker, turn left. After 300 metres, leave the path on the right and continue straight ahead until you reach the road.

(9) When you reach the D50, admire the Pas du Diable (Devil's Steps). Follow the road to the right for 300 metres. Go behind the safety rail, then leave the road on the left and continue along the "Rond Bois" path.

(10) At the edge of the woods, enjoy a magnificent view of Saint-Dizier-l'Evêque and the Vosges mountains. Continue straight ahead. Pass a path on the left, then one on the right and another on the left. The signposts are helpful. The path leaves the forest and crosses the fields. At the top (elevation 621), turn left towards the east. Admire the magnificent view of Switzerland (Bure) and the Swiss Jura. You will arrive at a farm with a very large solar panel array.

(11) At the D50, turn left and head towards Villars-le-Sec. Follow Rue Principale, passing the initial crossroads.

(1) Return to the car park (S/E) via the same route you took on the way there.

During this hike, you will cross into Switzerland. Remember to bring your identity documents.

The hike is marked with a Red Ring. On Swiss territory, the trail is marked with a hiker pictogram; the Red Ring markings only appear at changes of direction.

Visorando was informed by Mr Chevalley, a volunteer member of Balisage90, based on brochures published by the Sud Territoire community of municipalities.

The Ajoie plateau.

Ajoie, also known as the Pays de Porrentruy (Aîdjoûe or Aîdjô in Jura patois, Elsgau in German), is a region in north-western Switzerland, located in the canton of Jura. The term Ajoie originally referred to the Allaine basin. It then came to apply to the region of Porrentruy, which was under the temporal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Basel. Under Bernese administration, Ajoie was part of the bailiwick (1815) and then the district of Porrentruy (1831), which also included most of Clos du Doubs, formerly part of the provostship of Saint-Ursanne.
Source: Wikipedia

Villars-le-Sec.
Located 6 km from Beaucourt and 8 km from Delle, on the French-Swiss border, Villars-le-Sec takes its name from the Latin villa, meaning house, countryside or farm. The village is aptly named, as water is scarce on this limestone plateau, the first foothills of the Jura, located at an altitude of 550 m.
This quiet and peaceful village remains the village furthest from any sea!
The village was founded in the 9th century as a dependency of the Murbach Abbey. Villars-le-Sec was part of the parish of Saint Dizier l'Évêque until 1698 and fell under the jurisdiction of the bailiwick and seigneury of Delle (aux Mazarin). In 1803, the village had 140 inhabitants.
In 1829, the church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary was built and the village became an independent parish. The bell tower was built and the church was enlarged in 1867.

School: the building, constructed in 1873, housed the town hall and the school. The inscription "maison communale Joseph Vienez Maire 1873" (Joseph Vienez Mayor 1873 town hall) can still be seen. Today, the building is occupied by an apartment and a nursery school.

Les Pas du Diable (The Devil's Footsteps): this site is located in the forest a few hundred metres from the entrance to the village. A large slab of rock protrudes from the ground. Footprints can be seen on it. Legend has it that these are the footsteps of Desiderius, the future Saint Dizier, and those of the devil, whom the saint fought and defeated. The cross is planted nearby to remind passers-by that this is a sacred place.
In the past, pilgrims used to take a splinter from this cross to bring them good luck for the rest of their journey.

Border markers
Along the French-Swiss border, you will find numerous boundary markers, some of which are stamped with the emblem of the fleur-de-lis, symbol of royalty, and the Bernese bear.

Solar energy.
In Villars-Le-Sec, 946 MWh of renewable energy are produced per year, while the total demand for the town, estimated by EDF in Villars-Le-Sec, is 724 MWh.
Source: ERDF