Déservillers walks

A walk through woods and meadows around Déservillers with views of the Alps.

From Éternoz, overlooking the Cirque de Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne, you will head to the beautifully named Belvédère des Feuilles on the meanders and cliffs of the wild Lison valley, notably on the "éperon des aiguilles" (spur of the needles), offering a view of a colourful forest. Then you will descend towards Nans and its old houses and climb boldly to the superb Verneau waterfall before returning along the Lison, through the small, lost and wild valley of the Vau stream.

To warm up, the Belvédère de Montmahoux, at an altitude of 828 metres, offers an exceptional view of the Jura Mountains, with the silhouette of Mont Blanc standing out on the horizon. Then, descending through beautiful beech forests towards Nans and its old houses, you will enjoy beautiful views of the wild cathedral of the Grotte Sarrazine. And, after a detour to the Verneau waterfall, return via the Belvédère des Feuilles viewpoint to the meanders and cliffs of the Lison Valley.

Discover one of the unique features of the Jura mountains: the reculées, narrow, deep valleys lined with high, steep walls, formed at the end of the ice ages by a gradual retreat of the valley floor into the plateau, ending in wild cirques. The Norvaux reculée ends in three cul-de-sacs carved out by the Pomme Gaude, Fontaine des Cassards and Fontaine de Fer streams.

This forest trail will take you to some unusual sites: the Prêtres réfractaires, a small secret wooded area where priests who rebelled against the revolution hid and celebrated mass; and the Chandeliers, large rock columns several metres high, formed by water and frost erosion. You will discover a viewpoint over the lost gorges of the Lison, which you will then follow along a beautiful, cool path, returning via the wild valley of the Vau stream.

A short, easy family walk. A gentle descent takes you to the Comboyer spring, then along a lovely forest path you reach the Norvaux viewpoint with a breathtaking view of the valley. A playground awaits you a little further on, complete with a picnic table and a small shelter. This route is suitable for pushchairs, provided you avoid the nature trail and complete the circular route via the white path.

An easy circular walk through the Levier State Forest. The route runs almost entirely through woodland on a variety of paths. After taking in the views of Hyoche, you can take a short break at the Brassecouche Spring, sitting at a picnic table by the old railway halt. At the end of the walk, after seeing the gigantic ‘Épicéas du Roi de Rome’ spruce trees, you’ll follow a botanical trail and, on your return to the car park, you can enjoy a relaxing break at one of the many tables and benches situated around the wildlife park at the Maison Forestière du Rondé.

"In these moments of terrible solitude, between life and death, one involuntarily thinks back to one's youth, one's parents, one's friends. I saw again in the mirror of my mind the meadows of Flagey where I used to go with my mother to gather hazelnuts," wrote Gustave Courbet, imprisoned after the Commune. From the family farm, follow in his footsteps and discover the little valley of Bonneille, the old oak tree of Sillet and the beautiful fountain-wash house of Chantrans.

Discover a unique feature of the Jura mountains: the reculées, narrow, deep valleys lined with high, steep walls, formed at the end of the ice age by a gradual retreat from the beginning of the valley into the plateau, ending in wild cirques. The first part of the walk takes you through woodland, past springs and streams, before returning via the Amancey plateau to discover two villages in the Comté region, Bolandoz and Flagey, and their richly decorated churches.

Discover the charm of Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne and its old houses, nestled in the natural setting of the remote valley, its Taillanderie. Then there is the Lison, mystical and wild at the foot of a vertiginous rocky cirque, after a tortuous underground journey, gushing forth in the blue-green plume of its never-ending waterfall, the wild cathedral of the Sarrazine cave, the Creux Billard and finally the belvedere of the Vieux Château.

Starting from Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne, pass by the Old Castle, Sainte-Anne, the Devil's Bridge and the Montmahoux viewpoint

An easy walk to discover some of Levier’s remarkable monuments and recharge your batteries in the peace and quiet, amidst pastures and pine forests. Also lovely in the snow (though not too much, as the forest paths are only cleared of snow in the warmer months).

From Crouzet, you will climb up to the remains of one of the largest strongholds of the Chalon family, which are actually quite sparse. Blame Louis XIV, who destroyed a large part of our heritage in revenge! However, your efforts will be rewarded by the splendid view of Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne, nestled in the natural setting of its remote valley, by the pretty Saint-Thiébaud church and by the bold and supernatural bridge spanning the Diable waterfall.

A short, unspoilt circular walk in the heart of the Lison Valley, amongst fir forests, moss-covered sharp limestone pavement and limestone cliffs. The route leads to the impressive ‘Chandeliers’ – large rock columns shaped by erosion – and then offers a lovely view over the Lison Gorges. The walk continues past the Brue fountain and along the riverbank.

A fairly varied route (geological curiosity, spring, stream and river with numerous small waterfalls), well shaded and wooded enough to encounter various species of trees.

A walk along tarmac roads and forest tracks to explore the viewpoints over the River Lison and the Gallic ruins. Forest path no longer in use (9); see the notice dated 2 September 2023 for an alternative route

On 10 November 1855, during a meeting of the Société d'Émulation du Doubs, Alphonse Delacroix exclaimed: "There is a place which, until the 19th century, retained its name of Alésia and still reigns amid the remains of the largest battlefield known to man. It is there, in Alaise, that we place the memorable siege that ended the struggle of Vercingetorix." Far from this scholarly debate, discover these ruins and, above all, the magnificent view of the Lison Gorges.

Amondans, home of our regional musician Napoléon Coste, overlooks the Malans stream, which flows into the Gouille Noire, whose wild charm you will be able to admire from above. Passing by oratories and fountains, you will return to Lizine with its ancient houses covered with lauzes, the formidable stone tiles that required our carpenters of yesteryear to build solid frames. Two other viewpoints will allow you to discover the Lison and Loue valleys with their gorges and meanders.

From the curious and pretty fountain in Amondans, quiet paths will take you to a viewpoint overlooking the green Loue valley and the remote Malans stream, where you can admire the wild charm of the landscape. Then, from the Bois des Serpents, winding your way between a splendid sharp limestone pavement resembling menhirs, you will follow the emerald green Loue to the deepest part of the valley, where a waterfall ends its descent into a pool: the Gouille Noire.

A lovely loop along beautiful paths, discovering the Pont du Diable, the Creux Billard, the Grotte Sarrazine, the Source and the Cascade du Lison. At the start of this beautiful walk, you'll cross the protected natural area of the marl pits and the Bois de Château-Renaud stream. Then head for Crouzet-Migette to reach the Source du Lison site, with a steep descent into the Combe Fagot. Before arriving at the site, you'll passthe Gros Chêne, presumed to be 300 years old, with a circumference of 5.5 m, an imposing sight. On arrival at the site: a return trip to the Creux Billard (unfortunately the Source path is off-limits), then a break at the Cascade du Lison, and a return trip to the Grotte Sarrazine (headlamp required). Then back along the Lison, a nice rest before a steep climb to Crouzet-Migette.

At the confluence of the Loue and Lison rivers, this walk offers a series of views from the Lizine plateau.

In Lizine, with its slate-roofed houses, you’ll discover the splendour of its church, the Oratory of the God of Mercy, and the rural heritage of this typical little village, resting for a few moments by the cool Vuillevoz fountain before setting off again through beautiful fir forests, where the sun casts a play of light and shadow, towards the Croix du Châtelet and its fine viewpoint over the Loue Gorges, the neighbouring mountains and the fortified house of Châtillon.

An easy family walk, almost entirely through woodland, offering several views of the Lison and Loue valleys and the Gouille Noire canyon. The path also passes through some astonishing karst formations typical of the region: the sharp limestone pavement. A surprising spot where you might spot chamois or roe deer leaping from rock to rock.

Another circular walk around Lizine taking you to beautiful viewpoints and past the limestone pavement.

From Cléron, through a beautiful, cool forest alternating between fir and deciduous trees, ideal for a hot summer's day, you will visit the gentle monk Toum Tatre, a monolith resembling a tonsured Capuchin monk, watching piously over the Norvaux valley from the top of his cliff. You will return through the Plain Mont forest to two unsecured viewpoints, one overlooking Castel Saint-Denis and the other overlooking Cléron and its castle.

Six petits kilomètres pour quatre points de vue sur le Val de Cléron, la reculée de Norvaux et le capucin de pierre Tountâtrou où nos anciens Comtois célébraient leurs dieux au sein même de la nature, au pied de ce colosse de pierre.

A forest walk combining tracks, forest paths and dirt tracks, taking in the Gour de Conches, its waterfall and its spring.

Chemin de Maublin - ancient road and carved passageway of Chalamont. An easy walk to get your legs back into shape at the start of the season.

You will take the old Tacot railway line, a small, narrow-gauge railway that climbed up to Pontarlier, to discover the Val de Cléron and its castle, surrounded by the white cliffs at the start of the Haute Vallée de la Loue.

From Cléron Castle, through a beautiful, cool forest alternating between fir and deciduous trees, ideal for a hot summer's day, you will visit the gentle monk Toum Tatre, a monolith resembling a tonsured Capuchin monk, watching piously over the Norvaux valley from the top of his cliff. Walking along the ledges of the twin valley of Valbois, you will return via Castel Saint-Denis, overlooking the valley from its rocky spur.

Starting from Chassagne, this hike takes you on a journey of discovery through the Valbois valley, in the heart of a preserved natural environment. The route alternates between forest tracks, pastures and balcony paths offering magnificent panoramic views of the limestone cliffs, the Loue valley and the village of Cléron. You’ll also discover the ruins of Castel Saint-Denis, an ancient medieval castle perched on its rocky promontory. A varied and wild circular route, combining historical heritage with the typical landscapes of the Jura Comtois.

A lovely walk along beautiful paths through pastures, forests and cliff ledges overlooking the Loue Valley. The route offers magnificent views from the lookouts at Monts d’Ornans, La Roche Thiébaut and Le Barmaud. You’ll also discover the spectacular Facle, a small rocky gorge carved out by the river. A varied route, though at times rocky and exposed, which requires caution on the cliff-edge sections.

There are four viewpoints on this woodland hike. The first is in the Ravin de Valbois Nature Reserve, a typical Jura wilderness area, under the protection of the proud thousand-year-old keep of Castel Saint-Denis. Then you will return, overlooking the peaceful Loue valley, discovering the heights, Notre-Dame du Chêne and the old town of Ornans.

A keep dating back to the year 1000 still stands proudly on its rocky outcrop, with superb cornice walls carved out of the rock, overlooking the wild nature of the Valbois ravine. In just four short kilometres, you will be treated to a series of breathtaking landscapes.

From the heart of the valley, you will climb in the shadow of the Château de Châtillon towards the Lizine plateau and its slate roofs, from where you will discover the Loue and Lison valleys from superb balconies, the riches of the church in this typical little village, the Oratory of the God of Mercy, and you can rest for a few moments at the cool fountain in Villevoz before setting off again towards splendid viewpoints over the two rivers.

Don't worry, you won't see a single snake. However, throughout this walk between Loue and Lison, you will discover no fewer than three viewpoints, particularly the Gouille Noire, which overlooks the wild charm of the valley. From the Croix du Châtelet, you will discover the small village of Lizine and its rich church. After resting at the cool fountain in Villevoz, you can set off again towards the splendid sharp limestone pavement formations that resemble menhirs.

A lovely walk starting from Geraise that will take you through the Vaux valley, from the ridges on the way out and along the valley floor on the way back. The viewpoints along the route offer beautiful views of Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne and the head of the Lison valley.

Starting from Cussey-sur-Lison, this lovely circular walk combines heritage, woodland and Jura landscapes. After exploring the village and its Saint-Christophe church, the path leads to the Croix and Chaux viewpoints, offering beautiful views of the valley, the cliffs and Mont Poupet. The walk then descends into the heart of the Goulue gorge, following the stream and its small waterfalls. A varied and peaceful walk, taking in limestone cliffs, woodland and rural heritage.

From a small village typical of the Lison Valley, whose slate-roofed houses have retained their old-world charm, you’ll explore the little valley of Cussey-sur-Lison via two viewing points perched on the heights of its limestone cliffs, before returning through the valley floor, accompanied by the cascades of its tuffier stream: the Goulue.

Natural site with four viewpoints over the Jura Mountains and the Cussey valley, a corniche and dry grasslands. Places of interest: the Cussey fountain and wash house, Echay, a typical village in the Lison valley.

A 11th-century keep is reflected in the emerald waters of the Loue; a rock dominates the valley from its sunlit ledges, offering a splendid vantage point over the wild scenery of the Valbois ravine and the tranquil Loue valley; old manor houses from a bygone era at the bend of a narrow lane; a rest in the cool of a church under the gaze of colourful wooden saints.

A short forest walk through the Val de Cademène with beautiful, unobstructed views over the Loue Valley and the Jura Mountains, taking in our Comtois villages and their bell towers nestled in the hollows of the hills. Most of the route is unmarked, so this walk will help sharpen your sense of direction.

This short, easy circular walk will take you from the hamlet of l’Entrepôt (Dournon) to Sainte-Anne and the famous Pont du Diable, which you can even admire from the bank of the Ruisseau de Château Renaud – the stream it spans – whilst following the small path leading to it. Before that, you’ll have passed through the quaint little village of Sainte-Anne with its street signs written in two languages: French and Arpitan, the local dialect. The return journey takes you through the lovely Chalème Forest with its beautiful forest lanes.

In Gaulish, ‘Rurey’ refers to a place rich in springs and streams. From its beautiful circular fountain in the centre of the village, passing by the foot of the church and in front of the elegant wash house, you will climb the botanical trail and descend into the Val de Cademène with its beautiful unobstructed views over the Loue Valley and the Jura Mountains. After passing through a somewhat wild stretch of woodland, you’ll reach the viewpoint overlooking the valley, dominated by the watchful sentinel of the thousand-year-old keep of Castel Saint-Denis.

In the Gallic language, ‘Rurey’ refers to a place rich in springs and streams. You will therefore set off from the beautiful circular fountain in the centre of the village, passing, at the foot of the church, in front of the elegant early 20th-century wash house built of cut stone and covered by a curious double hipped roof. You will then climb the botanical trail to a superb viewpoint over the Loue valley, overlooked by the watchful sentinel of the thousand-year-old keep of Castel Saint-Denis.

Hike in the woods with a visit to the Peusse waterfalls in Ornans.

Accompanied by the murmur of our cool streams, which, if you know how to listen to them, will tell you many forgotten stories, discover the vegetation petrified by our limestone waters and the coolness of the secret caves nestled in the greenery as you climb along a small, wild ravine.

Three viewpoints allow you to discover the Ornans mountains from the left bank of the Loue, Mont d'Ornans, Roche Thiébaut and Grand Barmaud, before returning to the valley by winding your way through La Facle, a narrow and picturesque fault that cuts into the cliff, and ending at the erratic boulders, geological curiosities, masses of stone weighing over 130 tonnes, transported by glaciers 600,000 years ago.

At the end of a wild valley, you will discover the Saut de Bonneille, located less than a kilometre from Courbet's father's farm in Flagey. This exceptional site caught the painter's eye in 1875. The tufa, a deposit of limestone, forms a conical mass surrounded by a plume of foam during periods of high water. Return via the Chassagne plateau and the Monts d'Ornans viewpoint.

This short but challenging walk will take you past the white rocks of the cliffs framing the ‘Petite Venise Comtoise’, offering four vantage points over the Loue Valley. It will lead you off the beaten track along the small, rugged cliffs of Mont d’Ully, helping to sharpen your sense of direction.

This route will allow you to discover the setting of our small Franche-Comté town from three viewpoints: Roche Fournièche, Rocher d'Ully and Châtelet.

Discover Ornans, a small town in Franche-Comté with plenty of character, via three viewpoints (Roche Fournièche, Rocher d'Ully and Rocher du Châtelet). Nicknamed "the little Venice of Franche-Comté", it will charm you with its houses on the Loue river and its bridges, which were a source of inspiration for the great Gustave Courbet.

You will discover the Church of Saint-Gengoult and its old tombs, then climb to two viewpoints over Montgesoye, Ornans and the Loue Valley as you walk through a charming little valley.

From Saint-Gengoult Church and its ancient tombs, you will climb to two viewpoints over Montgesoye, Ornans and the Loue Valley, passing through a charming little remote area, and return via the wild Cornebouche valley.

From the church in Montgesoye and its ancient tombs, you will climb up to a steep rocky ledge offering numerous viewpoints over the Loue Valley. From Vuillafans, a small, characterful Comtois town with old houses leaning over the river, crowned by the jagged walls of its old castle, you will return along the riverbanks, accompanied by the beauty of the rocks that frame the emerald green river.

From the church of Saint-Gengoult, patron saint of cuckolds, our ever-faithful Comtois Lady Nature will lead you along the beautifully named Chemin des Prés to the waterfall at the end of the Vau valley and its petrifying streams. On the way back, along the pleasant forest path overlooking the cornices, you can stop at the Thuyère viewpoint in Montgesoye and admire the Loue valley, from the Vuillafans mountains to Ornans.

From Montgesoye, you’ll climb up a steep rocky ledge to the Thuyère viewpoint overlooking the Loue valley, from the Vuillafans hills all the way to Ornans. A pleasant forest path, overlooking the ledges, will lead you to the waterfall at the head of the Vau gorge and its petrifying streams. On the way back, you’ll stop at the Church of Saint-Gengoult, patron saint of the cuckolded, and its ancient tombs.

From the former Visitandines convent, you will climb up to the unmissable site of the Vierge de la Roche du Mont and its view over the Loue valley and the village of Ornans. Then, following the Mambouc stream, you will return to the old town to walk along the river and its beautiful houses at the water's edge.

Set off to explore the mountains of Franche-Comté, accompanied by the murmur of our cool streams which, if you know how to listen, will tell you many forgotten stories. Discover the vegetation petrified by our limestone waters and the coolness of secret caves nestled in the wild greenery.