The Frênoi circular route in Rougegoutte

A lovely walk in Rougegoutte, 15 km north of Belfort. The shaded route is particularly pleasant during heatwaves. The circular route passes through a beautiful beech forest.
We are in the Vosges mountains: a walk with a good elevation gain.
This walk is signposted.

Details

n°2370959

Creation:
05 Aug 2019

Last update:
27 Aug 2023

Last review:
12 Aug 2024

Activity: Walking
Distance: 5.83 mi
Average duration: 4h 00
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,496 ft
Descent: - 1,496 ft
Highest point: 3,009 ft
Lowest point: 1,506 ft

Country: France
Area: Vosges mountains
City: Rougegoutte (90200)
Start/End: N 47.732579° / E 6.851302°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3520ET, 3620ET
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Description of the walk

The route starts at the town hall car park opposite the church.

The route is signposted with a Red Ring.
N.B. At the start, it follows another circular route signposted with a Blue Disc.

(S/E) Follow the main road, cross the river “la Rougegoutte” and turn right onto Rue de l’Eglise. At the first Fork in the road, continue slightly to the left (do not cross the stream again). At the second Fork in the road, turn right onto Rue du Bringard.

(1) After 100 m, at the crossroads, there is a sign indicating you should take the path on the right towards the Plain Baleroy. This path also leads to the Baerenkopf via the Col des Sept Chemins.
After 100 m, carry on straight ahead, ignoring a path on the left. Walk alongside a pond and continue uphill.

(2) After a flat stretch, cross a path and carry on straight ahead. The path climbs steeply.
The woodland on the right is called Le Frênoi (hence the name of this circular walk).

(3) At the fork, turn left and, immediately afterwards, at the crossroads, cross the Route Forestière to continue climbing straight ahead.

(4) After 100 m, take the middle path (neither the one on the right nor the one on the left).
Pass two paths on your left. This is the highest point of the route, at just over 900 m above sea level.

(5) After 200 m, at the crossroads, the two signposted routes split. The Blue Disc route heads off to the left. Our path, signposted with a Red Ring, heads off to the right. The path descends. Pass a track on the right, then one on the left.

(6) Cross the forest road and continue along the path straight ahead. At the next junction, head straight ahead, veering slightly to the left.

(7) At this junction, as the sign indicates, the path on the left leads to the Notre-Dame du Grippot Chapel. It’s a short 100-metre detour that’s well worth it.
Our route continues straight ahead. At the next junction, continue downhill to the right. The signposting is very helpful on this stretch.

(8) At the crossroads, carry on straight ahead, following the signposting. Shortly afterwards, you’ll pass the Croix des Côtes. You’ll reach the first houses in Rougegoutte and arrive back at the starting car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,512 ft - Rougegoutte Town Hall car park
1 : mi 0.54 - alt. 1,608 ft - Crossroads with a sign: Plain Baleroy
2 : mi 1.28 - alt. 1,896 ft - Crossroads after a flat stretch
3 : mi 2.03 - alt. 2,638 ft - Forest Track
4 : mi 2.17 - alt. 2,808 ft - Go straight on at the crossroads
5 : mi 2.59 - alt. 2,943 ft - Forest track
6 : mi 3.01 - alt. 2,566 ft - Forest Track
7 : mi 3.72 - alt. 2,067 ft - Notre Dame du Grippot
8 : mi 5.09 - alt. 1,716 ft - Crossroads near the > - Croix des Côtes
S/E : mi 5.83 - alt. 1,512 ft - Rougegoutte Town Hall car park

Notes

The route starts at the town hall car park opposite the church. Address: Rue des Écoles, Rougegoutte.

The route is signposted by the Belfort Territorial Department. Visorando was provided with this information by Mr Chevalley, a volunteer at Balisage90, based on the route kindly shared by one of his colleagues.

Worth a visit

Rougegoutte
The village owes its name to the ‘goutte’ (stream) which has carved its bed into the red sandstone. The river is called La Rougegoutte
The village is first mentioned in the early days of the Rosemont seigneury, established by Louis de Mousson, first Count of Montbéliard, between 1024 and 1070. In 1348, the region became an Austrian possession. In 1648, following the Treaties of Westphalia, the Alsatian possessions of the House of Austria reverted to France.

St George’s Church, 1724 – 19th century
The bell tower is in the Franche-Comté style
A church is mentioned at Rougegoutte on 6 June 1196, in a document by Pope Celestine III confirming the property and privileges of the chapter of Saint-Maimboeuf in Montbéliard. Probably built in the 12th century, this building stands on a rock whose base is lapped by the Rougegoutte stream and served as a refuge church. Saint George is cited as the patron saint from the 16th century onwards. Depicted slaying a dragon, he is carved in relief on the pediment of the portal. Source: Le patrimoine des communes
http://www.patrimoine90.fr/Rougegoutte.h...

Tilleul
Around 1578 – Central square
The history of Rougegoutte records the existence of a ‘high court’ on the right bank of the Rosemontoise and a ‘low court’ on the left bank as far as Giromagny. This gave rise to difficulties, further complicated by the establishment of a mining court. Negotiations took place between the latter and the lords of Rougegoutte. It is possible that the lords planted this lime tree in the heart of the village as a sign of confirmation of their rights. The tree’s presence at this location is recorded in the Reinach family archives in 1665. It is subsequently mentioned in 1687 and 1715
Source: Local Heritage

Croix des Côtes, 17th century
This cross stands on the old forest track linking Rougegoutte to Grosmagny. Source: Le Patrimoine des Communes

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5

Based on 4 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5

Route interest
3.8 / 5

Pecos

12 Aug 2024 at 17:00 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through some magnificent beech forests, but the first section is quite steep!!

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chevalley@wanadoo

18 Aug 2023 at 21:57 7200

Following Nath25’s comment, I went on this walk to check the signposting.
On the ground, the ‘Red Ring’ signposting is clearly visible and seemed effective to me.
In the Belfort department, the signposting is carried out by volunteers. There is always room for improvement. In such cases, please do let us know exactly where you had difficulty. The teams at Balisage90 will take the necessary steps to improve the route.

Kind regards

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chevalley@wanadoo

08 Aug 2023 at 22:05 7200

I’d like to correct my previous comment
As stated in the description, the circular route is signposted with a Red Ring
The other marked walk is the Bringard circular walk, marked with a Blue Ring.
If, by any chance, you’ve done both, you’ve completed a long walk.

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chevalley@wanadoo

08 Aug 2023 at 21:52 7200 • Edited: 08 Aug 2023 at 21:56 7200

Thank you, Nath25, for your comment
At Rougegoutte there are two signposted walks. This one, the ‘Circular Walk of Frénoi’, is signposted with a Blue Disc.
It’s true that it starts at an altitude of 450 m and climbs to 900 m.
Visorando’s difficulty rating system classifies a walk as ‘difficult’ if it is over 20 km or if the elevation gain exceeds 1,000 m.
This walk is 9 km long with an elevation gain of 460 m. The climb is long but does not warrant a ‘difficult’ rating

When I added this walk to Visorando in 2019, I followed the signposting, which was very clear.
Could you let me know where the signposting is missing? (If possible, via a private message on Visorando).

Kind regards

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Nath25

07 Aug 2023 at 13:45 7200

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A hike requiring a good level of fitness. A very long climb which, despite the cool weather and our hiking experience, left us sweating. It should be classified as ‘difficult’ rather than ‘moderate’ as indicated. The route runs mainly through woodland; for those who love the fresh air and lush greenery of our beautiful Franche-Comté, it’s a lovely hike. The signposting isn’t always clearly visible (when there is any), so you often find yourself looking at the map – fortunately available on your smartphone. For much of the route, the trail seems to follow the same path as the circular loop starting from Rougegoutte. In any case, it seems we must have gone the wrong way at some point
A great breath of fresh air guaranteed for anyone interested in this walk

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lutrin

22 Aug 2022 at 08:44 7200

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

This walk is only worth doing for the exercise. There were eight of us in the group, and some of us struggled on the very steep climb. Once we reached the summit, we were disappointed – there was no view at all; the whole walk is in the shade, which can be a good thing during these hot spells...
To sum up, if you’re looking for a leisurely walk with beautiful scenery, give this one a miss.

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Marie90-4

23 Sep 2020 at 13:23 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk
My muscles are really working… what a climb!!!
It was lovely to be in the shade; even though it was 20 September, it was still very hot.
The ground was very dry. On the other hand, in wet weather… it must be a bit more treacherous.
The chapel is very pretty.
Rougegoutte is a lovely little village, full of flowers.

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