Circular walk from the Chancia viewpoint via Vouglans, Nezan and Jeurre

Starting from Villards-d'Héria.
Park on the hard shoulder of the small road in front of Yasar furniture, on the D470, on the right after the viaduct heading towards Saint-Claude.

(S/E) Cross the D470 and take the small road opposite. Continue for 150m along the village road and turn right onto a small, steeply ascending road.

Continue to the bridge over the Héria, take the small climb to the right, then turn left at the junction.

Cross through the old village, pass the town hall and continue towards the viaduct.
Just before the viaduct, turn right to rejoin the D470 and continue on the right.
Go round the roundabout and exit towards Martigna.

(1) At the first bend, leave the road and take the stony track.
.Take care on the descents
At the end of the track, cross the road and continue for 200m past the sewage treatment plant.

(2) Take the path on the left after the sewage treatment plant. Continue along the path and as soon as you see the red MTB signpost indicating TLV (Tour du Lac Vouglans), follow this signpost to the village of Vouglans, 10 km further on.

(3) When you reach the Route Forestière de la Réfrèche, turn left and then right 20 metres further on.
Continue to follow the red MTB signposting for TLV.

(4) On the Route Forestière de la Grange Neuve, turn right for 500m then continue along the forest road to the left, following the red mountain bike signs for TLV.

(5) At the junction with the tarmac forest road, turn right.
600m further on, take the path on the right signposted Grange au Gui.
Be careful not to lose sight of the red MTB markings indicating TLV. They are clearly visible, but the speed on the descents and your focus on riding may cause you to miss the waypoints.

(6) Once you reach the shores of Lake Vouglans, continue to the left for 2.5 km. About 1 km further on, you’ll find access to the dam.

(7) The view of the dam is 50m from the road. (To get there, you’ll need to walk your bikes).

Leave the forest track at the hairpin bend by going straight on. Enter the village of Vouglans and continue to the main road. Keep following the red mountain bike signs indicating TLV to the right, then to the left.

(8) At the last houses in the village, leave the red mountain bike signs and follow the forest road to the left, towards Chancia, for 5 km.

(9) Turn immediately left at the entrance to Chancia.
Remember that you’ve just spent about 1½ hours riding downhill and on flat ground. Now you’ll have to climb back up! And this is where it starts.
Continue along the forest road to the Chancia viewpoint.

(10) At the viewpoint, take a moment to catch your breath and refuel whilst enjoying the superb view over Lac du Croiselet and the Ain valley, before tackling the remaining climbs.

Follow the forest path for 2 km to the village of Nezan.

(11) In the centre of Nezan, turn left and continue uphill along the forest track.

Continue along this track, ignoring all other paths, for 4 km. This forest track is not signposted, so make sure you follow the route on your phone. Carry on until you reach a horseshoe-shaped forest track.

(12) Continue right along this forest track for 1 km until you reach the D295.

(13) On the D295, keep right. Pass by Lake Chanon, then the hamlet of Chanon.

(14) On leaving the hamlet of Chanon, leave the D295 and continue along the signposted path to the left towards Grand Serve.

(15) Leave the signposted path and take the forest track on the left.
If you miss the junction, don’t worry. Carry on, turn left onto the forest track and left again at the hamlet of Douvre, then continue along the forest road.
If you’re on the right track, carry on to the forest road.

(16) On the forest road, continue left for about 3 km until you reach the bottom of the descent.

You have just completed the second part of the downhill section. Now it’s time to head back up!

(17) Just before the D27, take the path on the right to the River Bienne.

(18) Go under the bridge and follow the path which runs to the left of the village of Jeurre and to the right of the River Bienne until you reach the D27E5.

(19) Once on the road, keep left and then immediately right in front of the Château.
Carry on to the bridge and continue straight ahead.

At the bridge, the climb begins (approx. 4 km) up to the hamlet of Grand Châtel. At the end of the forest track, continue left onto the tarmac road.

(20) In the hamlet of Grand Châtel, continue left past the fountain. Continue along the forest road for about 3 km.

Pass under the Villards d’Héria viaduct (you can see the Accro-Pont facilities beneath the viaduct).

(21) At the junction with the village road, turn right to reach the viaduct. Then turn left and follow the road for 100m to reach the car park (S/E).

- See the car park and the starting point.

- Watch a video of the route profile.

- This mountain bike ride is long and challenging due to the elevation gain.
Remember to take food and drink, a mobile phone and repair kit, as on some sections of the route you’ll be isolated and far from any houses.
Remember to check your kit before setting off, as it’s a real pain to get a puncture and then realise the pump isn’t in your bag (speaking from experience).

- Duration of the ride: I completed the route in 3½ hours, not counting the two breaks I took before the climbs.

Video of the path between WP 1 and 2.

Video of the Chancia viewpoint.

I can accompany you if you’d like.
Just let me know a few days in advance: here

The Vouglans Dam is nearby, between WPTs 6 and 7.
The Vouglans Dam is an arch-type hydroelectric dam situated on the River Ain. Its commissioning in 1968 created Lake Vouglans, France’s third-largest artificial reservoir by capacity (605 Mm³). The construction of the dam employed more than 500 people for five years, whilst filling the reservoir took over 18 months.

Lake Coiselet
Situated on the border between the departments of Ain and Jura, Lake Coiselet is a 10-kilometre-long artificial lake created in 1970 with the construction of the Coiselet Dam and now fed by the Bienne and Ain rivers.
The Ain has shaped the valley’s landscape, and Lake Coiselet, surrounded by cliffs, is a magnificent site offering spectacular scenery.

Lake Chanon.
This small private lake is situated in a peaceful area. An information board details its development as well as the famous, typically Jura legend of the “Vouivre”.
A mythical creature inspiring both fear and fascination, the Vouivre has long haunted the collective imagination, particularly in the countryside of Franche-Comté.

Monneret Woodturning in Jeure, manufacturer of turned wooden items:
A family-run business, Monneret Woodturning has been crafting wooden items since 1951. The workshop is well known for its wooden balls of all sizes, wooden wheels, and boxwood items—even those with large diameters—but this is just one aspect of their production!