Country:
District:
The starting point is located under the RN 57 bridge (small car park).
Another starting point is available from the large car park at the Mémorial de la Libération (9).
(S/E) Take the tarmac road towards Fontain, heading due south. Climb the few hairpin bends to reach a T-junction.
(1) Turn left and continue until you reach a fork in the road. Turn right and walk along the pasture. Continue climbing and, at the hairpin bend to the right, ignore the path on the left. Continue slightly uphill until you reach the first crossroads. Continue straight ahead until you reach the intersection between Route du Fort and the ridge path.
(2) Then turn completely left onto this path, which leads to pretty villas and offers beautiful views of the first plateau of the Doubs. Further on, this path forks.
(3) Take the left fork and you will soon enter the woods on the Notre-Dame des Buis path. Continue along this PR for a long time, ignoring all the adjacent paths. Much further on, join the tarmac road that comes from the hamlet of Petite Vèze on the right and Morre or Chapelle des Buis on the left. Turn left and then right. __Caution: be careful, narrow passage with poor visibility__.
Immediately afterwards, look for a path that climbs up the embankment.
(4) Take the somewhat dilapidated steps and continue. Reach the water tower, go around it on the right and continue on the P.R. You will come to a junction with the GR®59.
(5) Take the hairpin bend to the left downhill and you will arrive at a crossroads at point 453. Continue straight ahead, following the GR. Further on, in a left-hand bend in the road, you will find a crossroads and signposts.
(6) At the junction, take the "Chemin devant le Tuchot" (path in front of the Tuchot). Then ignore the crossing path and continue north to reach a junction of marked paths.
(7) Take the left-hand path, go around the Ancien Fort de l'Est des Buis and arrive at the Route de Notre-Dame de la Libération.
(8) Turn right towards the esplanade and the viewpoint. You may be lucky enough to find the crypt open. Climb up to the upper esplanade to enjoy the view of the first plateau and, depending on the light, the first mountains of the Jura.
(9) Admire the view of the capital of Franche-Comté once more and head back in the opposite direction. Continue to the Chapel of Notre-Dame des Buis.
(10) Explore the site and then turn left, heading due east away from the chapel. Descend into the hamlet and, after passing an imposing building, you will find the junction with the Chemin des Mercureaux.
(11) Take this beautiful path on the right, which descends into the valley. Pass the farm and ignore the paths on your right further on. You will come to a fork.
(12) Leave the PR and continue straight downhill. Cross the Ruisseau des Mercureaux and return to your car park (S/E).
A lovely, very easy hike. Enjoyable in the first sunshine of the year.
Visorando member
Moderate 
