La Baume Martin and the Gorges de la Pisseur

There is a small car park on the right halfway up the dead-end road from Côte Blanche to Beure. The route is marked in white and red and yellow and blue, but most of it is unmarked.

(S/E) Go up the street, which becomes a path that climbs steeply up the hillside to the right of the water tower. Notice the ruts left in the rock by our old iron-wheeled carts. At the first fork, take the path on the far right that climbs steeply up the hillside. Go straight ahead at the crossroads of paths At the top, the path splits. Turn left for a few metres to take a look at the Baume Martin.

(1) Carefully continue along the path that passes above the small cave for an unsecured view of the Doubs valley, the Côte and the new town of Planoise. Then turn right onto the path that leads out of the grove. Continue straight ahead for fifty metres as you leave the grove, taking the path on the right that leads to a bench and a viewpoint over the valley.

Descend carefully along the edge of the ledges with a dizzying view of the valley. Be careful, as the stony path is close to the edge.

At the fork, when the marked path turns right downhill, carefully take the small path on the left (the path runs along a slope). You are now entering the wildest part of the walk, but you should reach your destination without difficulty despite the lack of markings.

The path quickly forks. Take the left fork onto the small grassy plateau below an old dry stone wall, a remnant of our ancient terraced crops. There is a beautiful view of Mont d'Arguel and the hills of Fontain.

The path enters the woods and soon comes to a long stone embankment. Climb up the embankment, take five steps to the left and look for the small path in the mossy scree that descends diagonally to the right into a stony slope (take care!). The path then becomes more visible but also steeper and may be slippery in wet weather. The path veers slightly to the right to rejoin a descending trail. Follow it down to the hamlet.

(2) Climb back up a few steps to the left, crossing the small bridge on the right and continuing along the Grands Prés circuit, which quickly turns into a path. Cross the Mercureaux stream via a small wooden bridge. You are now above the Bout du Monde waterfall. Climb this steep path, where you can see the tracks left by the iron-rimmed wheels of our old carts.

Two-thirds of the way up the slope, climb a small, barely visible path on the right for a few metres to reach the viewpoint over the old village of Beure. But be extremely careful, as the viewpoint is not secure! Return to the path and continue climbing, glancing down to your right. You may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a chamois's tail.

(3) When the path turns left at a 90° angle and continues to climb towards the Arguel plateau, continue straight ahead on a path that quickly branches off. Descend to the right on the path that leads to the Ruisseau de la Pisseur stream, which has carved out pretty little gorges, and follow it carefully along the steep path: the stones are always wet and slippery! After a few metres of descent, don't miss a path (not very visible) on the left that leads to the stream to discover the exit of the gorge with its waterfall.

You will come out of the woods at the top of a pasture, which you will cross towards the houses. Do not wander around the pasture, as the path is communal but the meadow is private (N.B.).

Then descend to the left to the small bridge. Before the bridge, take the small lane on the right to visit an old wash house. Cross the bridge and immediately turn right onto the gravel path on the right that runs alongside a vegetable garden and follow the markings to the waterfall. Unfortunately, the vegetation in spring and summer partially hides it. Continue to reach the Chemin de Maillot, which is paved.

Go down to the left to find Chemin de la Côte Blanche and the car park on the right (S/E).

The route includes ledge paths and unsecured viewpoints. Rocky and slippery paths in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended.

(N.B) Previously, we could walk along the Ruisseau de la Pisseur to reach the bottom of a pretty little valley where the stream offered the charm of its two waterfalls. Today, the owner of the field, who is not very keen on sharing natural beauty, channels us between two fences!

The Lucien Roy Army Museum has 12 rooms retracing the major conflicts of the Empire, the two world wars and the colonial wars. More than 250 mannequins in uniform, accompanied by weapons, ammunition and numerous documents, immerse visitors in military history. You can also discover the daily life of soldiers outside of combat, particularly during 1914-1918, as well as that of civilians.

Open all year round on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons from 2pm to 6pm (closed on Saturdays in December, January and February). Visits are available on request by email via the museum's website .