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Arguel car park in the centre of the village. Yellow-Blue, White-Red markings, trail and some unmarked sections.
(S/E) Head to the far end of the car park to join the sandy path which leads left to the old wash house. Cross the footbridge and take a look to the left, at the façade of one of the last houses, for the old Michelin sign. Follow the D 111 road up to the dead-end track, the Chemin des Perchereaux, which quickly turns to gravel. On the left, the rocky outcrop where the feudal castle of Arguel once stood. The path veers sharply left, beginning a steep descent.
(1) At the bottom, you’ll come across a path at a right angle. Head left, leaving the signposted route. You’ll soon reach a fork. Head down to the right along the path that leads towards the Ruisseau de la Pisseur, which has carved out some lovely little gorges, and follow it carefully along the steep path: the stones, which are always damp, are slippery! After a few metres’ descent, don’t miss the path on the left leading down to the stream to discover the gorge’s exit, which forms a waterfall. You’ll emerge from the woods at the top of a pasture, which you cross towards the gate below. Don’t wander off into the pasture; the path is communal, but the field is private.
(2) About thirty metres before the gate, turn sharply left, then follow the stream to reach the bottom of a pretty little valley where the Pisseur will treat you to the charm of its two waterfalls. Stop at the first one. A path leads to the second one, but be warned 
: whilst the climb seems easy, the return journey looks rather perilous to me! Return to the gate and continue straight on, arriving at a small clearing. Before the footbridge, take a quick detour down the small cobbled lane opposite for a glimpse of the old wash house. Return to the small square and head left, crossing the footbridge; a few metres further on, at the fire hydrant, take the gravel path on the right which passes under the Bout du Monde waterfall (towards Chemin de Maillot). After the waterfall, at the small tarmac road, head down to the left for 250 metres.
(3) Look for a sign on a telephone pole indicating a path to climb up to the right, at the corner of the wall, onto the stony Sert path to discover the ancient Roman road and its ruts carved into the stone (towards Bois de Peu). Shortly after the Roman road, take a sharp left. At a large rock bearing signposts, head left and continue climbing carefully along the ledges to the meadows and the viewpoint over the Doubs Valley, which features a bench.
(4) Continue straight on along the edge of the trees lining the cliffs and, after about fifteen metres, you will come across a small, inconspicuous path on your left which continues to follow the cliffs and leads to Baume Martin (a ‘baume’, derived from the Gaulish ‘balma’, is a rock shelter). Return to the pasture and head left; at the corner of the pine grove, turn left for a 50-metre round trip to a viewpoint overlooking Planoise. Return to the corner of the pine grove and then to the bench.
(4) The signposted path starts again from the bench and crosses the pasture lengthwise. Turn your back on it and head straight across the meadow to reach a fork. Take the grassy path sloping gently down to the right to reach a hunting car park. Continue to the right along the lovely stony path. At the end of a large bend to the left, when you see the hill opposite, don’t miss the stony path that descends to the right down the wooded slope.
(5) You’ll reach Chemin de Maillot by passing between two houses. Head up to the left until you reach the second small bridge and turn right onto Rue Euvrard. The path becomes stony as it enters the forest and, after a few hairpin bends, leads onto the small tarmac road descending from Fontain. Along the way, there are views of the old village of Beure and the Arguel valley.
(6) Head up to the right to the roundabout, ignoring the signposted steps climbing up the wooded hillside to the left. Pay your respects to the old Saint-Pierre, who has, poor thing, lost his shepherd’s crook, and cross the roundabout to take Rue Chemin sur Roche to the left of the statue.
(7) Two hundred metres further up, look out for a path that descends the hillside to the right, joining a wider forest track below. Head down to the right for fifty metres for a short round trip to a small cave carved into the rock face. Turn back and climb up this forest track. You’ll pass the rock shelters of Fort Rolland and enjoy lovely views of the jagged peaks of Arguel.
(8) You arrive at an X-shaped crossroads, where you’ll find signposts again. Head slightly to the right and climb up to the left to the fort’s entrance. Half-erased inscriptions warn you of the danger. If you choose to ignore them, you do so at your own risk and must keep a safe distance from the buildings. Return to the crossroads and head down to the left (mountain bike route 114). Leave the pasture through the metal gate and immediately turn right down the grassy path, which soon becomes a road that you follow to the main road. Turn left, taking the Route des Grands Prés in reverse, then right at the next junction. Then head up Rue du Château to the right. At a fire hydrant, turn left onto the dead-end road, which becomes a lovely path climbing up the hillside (yellow-blue marker).
(9) At the Circuit des Grands Prés sign, continue to the right, despite the Yellow Cross and the Blue Cross, towards the viewpoint 300 metres away. Soon, you’ll reach a first unprotected viewpoint over Planoise. Take care! You will soon reach a fork and the rocky outcrop overlooking Arguel, offering a view of the Jura mountains, particularly Mont Poupet. Leave the trail route and continue carefully along the path that runs along the edge of the cliff on the right, dotted with further viewpoints and some remains of the castle. At a small hollow and a fork in the path, climb the small hill carefully (the path runs along the edge of the cliffs) to the tip of the promontory for a superb 180° view of Besançon and its hills, and the Mercureaux valley.
(10) Retrace your steps to the small hollow at the fork in the paths and turn right towards the Doubs valley. You’ll come to a path at a right angle, which you take to the right. After the descent to the foot of some beautiful rocks, you’ll soon come across the trail markings inviting you to head down the hillside to the right. At the small hut, turn right. You’ll pass the picturesque little church of Saint-Hippolyte. At the corner of the cemetery, head down to the left along the path that leads you towards the village and the car park (S/E).
Visorando Member
Easy 
