Route des Trois Portes in Chaleze

Hike in the peaceful woods on the outskirts of Besançon.

Details

1911509
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.44 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 256 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 251 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 571 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 332 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Chalèze (25220)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 47.261529° / E 6.093957°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3323ET
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the walk

Park in the Rue du Mont car park in Chaleze, located on a hairpin bend.

(S/E) Follow the blue and yellow markings up the road.

(1) After the hunting lodge, stay on the road following the markings.

(2) At the crossroads, continue to the left and at the next fork (altitude 434m), take the stone path on the right.

(3) At the end of the path, turn right, following the markings. Either blue and yellow markings or a sign indicating the three gates to the north-east.

(4) Turn right towards the south-east.

(5) At the crossroads at the end of the path, turn right and stay on the marked path heading south-west.

(6) Turn right as indicated on the sign to reach Fort des Épesses.

(7) Turn left onto the path, following the markings. Pass the fork, then the power line.

(8) At the crossroads, turn right onto the road towards the power lines.

(9) In the bend a little further on, go straight ahead onto a small dirt track heading north, where you will see a sign for the Route des Trois Portes. The track then turns left heading west. Stay on this track, following the blue and yellow markings.

(10) At the end of the path, you will arrive at a pasture. Cross it diagonally to the right (northeast) to find a path in the woods opposite. There are no more markings here. Continue along this path to reach the hunting cabin.

(1) Take the road in the opposite direction, or cut across a path on the left to avoid the road and reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 332 m - Car park on Rue du Mont.
  2. 1 : km 1.03 - alt. 405 m - Hunting cabin.
  3. 2 : km 1.47 - alt. 425 m - Go straight ahead at the crossroads.
  4. 3 : km 2.2 - alt. 470 m - Fork to the right.
  5. 4 : km 3.07 - alt. 492 m - Fork to the right.
  6. 5 : km 3.55 - alt. 512 m - Crossroads of trails
  7. 6 : km 5.02 - alt. 568 m - Les Trois Portes sign
  8. 7 : km 5.09 - alt. 571 m - Fort des Épesses - Batteries des Epesses et des Rattes
  9. 8 : km 6.25 - alt. 562 m - Crossroads
  10. 9 : km 6.39 - alt. 568 m - Passage under power lines.
  11. 10 : km 7.56 - alt. 444 m - Pasture
  12. S/E : km 9.44 - alt. 332 m - Car park on Rue du Mont.

Notes

Hiking boots.
GPS or mobile phone to follow the route.

The route is well marked until (10): either blue and yellow markers or wooden signs for the route des trois portes.

Worth a visit

Visit to Besançon.
Thise Aerodrome.

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.1 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Th.L
Th.L

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The trail is very pleasant, running through woodland for almost the entire hike. We were confused because the route described does not quite match the marked trail (which is very well marked on the ground with blue and yellow signs), so we had doubts and went back and forth a few times. When we reached the bottom of the route, near the sign showing the map of the hiking route, we realised that it was not quite the same as the one on Visorando.
A word of advice: follow the signs carefully! This hike should be updated on Visorando so that it corresponds exactly to the signposted route.

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Paps
Paps

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This is a pleasant, easy walk through the woods. The climb is gradual. The only variation in the route is the signposting of the three gates at point 10, which takes you straight back to the car park. This reduces the distance to approximately 8.5 km instead of 9.5 km.

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pimpette
pimpette

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 22, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The route you describe does not follow the marked route of the three gates. After the Epesses battery no. 7, the marked route descends to the right into the woods. In field no. 10, the path crosses this field and descends into the woods to reach the car park.

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PAYER François
PAYER François

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The directions could sometimes be more precise. For example, to start the walk, you have to go to the last bend and the end of Rue du Mont, where there is a clearly visible signpost. It would also be helpful to specify more clearly when you leave and rejoin the yellow and blue marked trail.
Note that there are a few fallen trees on the trail.
Overall, a beautiful hike in the forest. It must also be very pleasant in summer.

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legolfeur
legolfeur

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

An interesting hike for history buffs. We combined this hike with a tip we found at the foot of the entrance to the TDF site. There are many war relics to discover, which we found fascinating.
A must-do

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maudoil
maudoil

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

As usual, very good for me
Thank you

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chefm
chefm

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant hike that takes two hours. Not difficult, very well marked (fortunately) as there are intersections with several paths and trails.
It's a shame that there is no explanation about Fort d'Epesses and its historical role. From an old powder magazine in the military forts near the Rouby spring, and not to point out (in good weather) a viewpoint over the Jura and Mont Blanc mountains.

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