Échevannes (Doubs) walks

From a steep rocky ledge, with numerous views over the Loue valley and Châteauvieux-les-Fossés, you will cross the beautiful, airy Tangelet forest, sharpening your sense of direction as you climb back up to the sunny plateau. You will visit the church of La Barêche, lost in the middle of the fields, and finish at the charming Sainte-Gertrude Chapel with its superb view of the valley.

From the Sainte-Gertrude Chapel and its viewpoint over the Loue Valley, let yourself be guided by the beautiful path along the steep cliffs of the Tangelet and its numerous viewpoints overlooking Vuillafans, Montgesoye, Ornans and the valley. The path through the old vineyards, lined with dry-stone walls – a remnant of the terraced farming of days gone by – offers a superb, unobstructed view of both the upper and lower reaches of the valley.

Walk through the vineyards and along the Loue, passing through Lods, one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Starting from Vuillafans Church, a lovely circular route passing through Echevannes, waterfalls and Montgesoye with beautiful views.

In Vuillafans, with its old houses leaning over the river, crowned by the crumbling walls of its old castle, a beautiful path awaits you – though it involves a steep climb – leading to the Sainte-Gertrude d’Échevannes chapel and its viewpoint over the Loue valley. Then the beautiful path along the steep cliffs of the Tangelet will lead you to the old vineyards and their superb views of the river both upstream and downstream.

Vuillafans and its old houses leaning over the river, crowned by the crumbling walls of its old castle. Lods, its fortified house, its communal mill on the Loue in the protective shadow of the Roche de Hautepierre. You will pass under the replanted vineyards, a reminder of what our valleys might have looked like before the destruction of the vineyards by phylloxera, and return, after a steep climb, via the Échevannes plateau. All this is interspersed with multiple views of the upper Loue valley.

You will walk alongside the babbling Vergetolle stream in this small valley of contrasting light and shade. Then, as the landscape becomes wilder, you will reach the Source Bleue potholes, before finally discovering, hidden at the end of the valley, the impressive Tuffière waterfall, resembling a stone monster ready to devour you. Enjoy a peaceful return through the forest along the ledges, with several viewpoints over the valley.

Set off to discover two small valleys of contrasting light and shade. Then, as the landscape becomes wilder, you will come to the Source Bleue and, nestled in the greenery, the Tuffière, resembling the mouth of a giant forest creature, ready to devour you, ending at the Cascade du Raffenot at the bottom of a typical valley of the Loue.

From this small fortified village, located on the old salt road overlooking the valley, you will descend towards Vergetolle, a charming little valley of contrasting light and shade. Then, the landscape becomes wilder as you head towards the Source Bleue and discover, nestled at the end of the valley, the Tuffière waterfall, resembling the mouth of a giant forest creature, ready to devour you.

From this small fortified village, located on the old salt road and overlooking the valley, you will climb towards its rival, Châteauneuf, crowning Vuillafans with its ragged walls, crossing beautiful forests, always accompanied by the Roche du Soleil and the Roche de Hauteppiere, watching majestically and peacefully over the upper Loue valley.

Starting from Montgesoye, a lovely walk along the southern slopes, above the old vineyards of Vuillafans, offering beautiful views of the Loue valley and the villages below.

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 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 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 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.

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.

A long forest walk in the cool Bois sur Roches with its beautiful ledges and views of La Thuyère and La Verdottte, returning via the sunny Pont de Beuque valley.

Starting from one of the most beautiful villages in France, after a challenging climb, you will be rewarded by the cornices of the Rochers du Capucin, which offer what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful views of the upper Loue valley with the Hautepierre rock. These will guide you along wooded and steep paths to the Moine de la Vallée and the sumptuous and wild gorges of Nouailles. The return journey, under the watchful gaze of the monk, takes you through blossoming orchards.

In a particularly remarkable setting, where the Loue has carved out a wide, deep gorge, this circular route passes through one of the “most beautiful villages in France”: Lods, nestled in the valley. Steep climbs take us, after a 510-metre ascent, to the Roche de Hautepierre and its sweeping panorama. From there, the route follows charming paths through unspoilt countryside. The descent is gentle. As a bonus, we discover the curious Roche de Sainte-Foy rock formation and the “village of character” of Mouthier-Hautepierre, which is also full of charm and boasts a rich architectural heritage.

Formerly known as Roche du Soleil ( Sun Rock), because it is here that the sun, rising above the horizon, casts its first rays and bids its last farewell as it sets, it is through the pale or red hue with which it colours the rock that it predicts to the inhabitants whether the next day will bring serenity or tears from the sky. Discover two characterful towns in the Comté region and this royal viewpoint over the Loue valley, the Jura mountains and Mont Blanc.

Starting from Lods, one of the most beautiful villages in France, a lovely hillside path will offer you magnificent views of the sun-drenched cliffs of La Roche de Hautepierre, Le Moine de la Vallée and the Gorges de Nouailles, and will take you to Mouthier, another charming little village in the Franche-Comté region with its medieval statues. Then comes a short, challenging climb to the Sucrue promontory, with its panoramic views over the lower reaches of the valley and the cliffs of the Haute Loue.

Starting from Lods, one of the most beautiful villages in France, a lovely hillside path offers sumptuous views of the sun-drenched cliffs of La Roche de Haute-Pierre, Le Moine de la Vallée and Les Gorges de Nouailles, leading you to Mouthier, another charming little village in the Comté region with its medieval statues.

Please note: the left bank is closed to walkers following accidents Start from Mouthier-Haute-Pierre for a hike through the Gorges de Nouailles, passing by the Grotte des Faux Monnayeurs and the Source du Pontet. Hike up the gorges via the Grotte de Nouaille to the source of the Loue along the left bank. After the source of the Loue, descend along the right bank before climbing up to the plateau above the gorges, and walk around the valley above the source of the Loue. Continue along the plateau on the western side of the gorges, passing by the Renédale viewpoints, then return to Mouthier-Haute-Pierre via the west.

The Loue Spring (tributary of the Doubs) is a resurgence of the Doubs. After journeying underground, it comes out into the open air at the bottom of a 'reculée' (steephead valley), at the foot of the rock face. It has cut deep into the limestone of the Jura massif, creating an enclosed valley, which I invite you to gaze at and contemplate from the many lookout points. You will also go down to the bottom of the gorge to discover this impressive resurgence.

Visit the picturesque village of Mouthier and hike along the Loue river in pleasant surroundings.

This short route, which starts off challenging with the climb up Petit Mont, offers a glimpse of the beauty of this valley so dear to Gustave Courbet: its high rocks glistening in the sun, its lost valleys with their gentle green curves, its cool, mossy gorges with deep caves, and the emerald and mysterious Loue river. And to conclude, this small village in the Comté region with its character and medieval statues.

The Rochers du Capucin cliff edge offers one of the most beautiful views of the upper Loue valley with the Roche de Hautepierre. It will guide you along wooded and steep paths to the Moine de la Vallée and the sumptuous and wild gorges of Nouailles.

This circular route has been mapped out for the ‘Montées Joyeuses de Mouthier-Hautepierre’ event on 3 March 2024. It is a challenging circular route: you descend to Mouthier and then climb back up.

Walk around Hautepierre-le-Châtelet, with access to the summit of La Roche, views of the Alps and the Loue Valley. You can also take the Sentier de la Roche trail and link up with the GR® trail in the Loue Valley. On a clear day, you can see Mont Blanc from the summit of La Roche d'Hautepierre. In Hautepierre, below the old town hall, you can enjoy refreshments on the terrace of a community café called "La Distillerie". The trail is marked in yellow

The Source de la Loue is one of the most famous springs in the Jura. Located near Pontarlier, the river emerges from the rock through this enormous cave and flows through deep gorges before reaching the plain. This walk, starting from the charming village of Mouthier-Haute-Pierre, begins with an ascent to the Moine de la Vallée viewpoint. The route then generally descends to the Source de la Loue, which offers a refreshing break. The paths that follow are narrow, particularly vertiginous and technical, but this is the most beautiful part of the walk. After this section, which ends at the Aiguillons de Brasse, the path is less dangerous and alternates between ascents and descents to the Roche de Hautepierre viewpoint. From there, you tackle the final descent towards the village.

A lovely walk in the forest with beautiful views of the Loue valley from Ornans to Montgesoye from Roche Lahier and Roche Bottine.

From the old village of Mouthier, you will climb to this major tourist attraction in Franche-Comté, one of the Doubs’ most significant natural sites: the Source de la Loue, as you make your way up through the Gorges de Nouailles. You’ll look down over its emerald-green waters, interspersed with rapids and waterfalls, as you climb a picturesque and challenging path, perhaps catching a glimpse along the way of the counterfeiters of yesteryear who used to strike fake coins in the shade of the caves, before returning via the cliff ridge and its viewpoints overlooking the valley.