La Croix au Maréchal circular from Mignovillard

The route starts in front of Mignovillard Town Hall, in the centre of the village. Parking is available in the Town Hall car park.

(S/E) From the town hall, head towards Rue de Nozeroy, then take the first left onto Rue des Champs, followed by Rue de la Haute-Joux. Follow the GR® de Pays.

(1) At the end of Rue de la Haute-Joux, continue along the GR® de Pays, turning right and then left a few hundred metres further on.

(2) At the junction between the GR® de Pays path and the D340, cross the county road carefully and continue straight on across the pastures, then towards the edge of the woods until you reach the Croix au Maréchal, situated slightly off the path.

(3) Return to the path and continue to the right, heading east. Go round the wooded area on its northern side to reach the Oratory of Notre-Dame-du-Moru.

(4) Turn round and head back along the previous path. Turn left towards Le Moru and continue through the forest until you reach the next junction.

(5) At the junction with the Route du Moru, turn right and follow this small tarmac road.

(6) At the junction with mountain bike routes 37–38, leave Route du Moru and turn right into the forest.

(7) Continue to the right through the woods, following the path which gradually turns south, then west, north and finally north-west.

(8) At the junction between the old and new paths, turn left onto the new path and head down towards the quarry.

(9) As you approach La Pettouse, go through the gate in the fence provided for mountain bikes and turn left onto the track running alongside the quarry. Stay on the track and do not enter the quarry site.

(10) On leaving the La Pettouse area, carefully join the D340 and ride along the left-hand verge of the road, facing the oncoming traffic, towards Mignovillard.

(2) Back at the junction between the D340 and the GR® de Pays path, turn left towards the village centre, following the route in the opposite direction to the way out. Head along Rue de Nozeroy and then back to the town hall (S/E).

Parking: car park opposite Mignovillard Town Hall.

The route mainly follows farm tracks and forest paths. Some sections may be wet or muddy after heavy rain.

The route has no specific signposting, apart from certain sections shared with mountain bike routes 37 and 38: the route description and GPS track are useful at the main forest junctions.

At La Pettouse, you must stay on the paths open to the public and must not enter the quarry site.

There are no identified water points along the route: make sure you bring something to drink.

Croix au Maréchal
An old stone cross, now standing alone amidst meadows and woodland. Its location marks a former crossroads of paths linking, in particular, Mignovillard, Froidefontaine, Mouthe, Cerniébaud, Fraroz and Bonnevaux. It provides an interesting insight into the area’s historical layout.

Oratory of Notre-Dame-du-Moru
A small religious building situated near the old path from Mignovillard to Mouthe. The oratory has recently been restored.

Le Moru
This locality preserves the memory of a former hamlet of farmhouses that has now disappeared. A walk through this wooded area thus serves as a reminder that a space now largely returned to the forest was once inhabited.

La Pettouse
The return route runs above and then close to the La Pettouse quarry, used for the extraction of limestone aggregates. This rocky landscape contrasts with the agricultural and woodland areas passed through earlier.