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Cemetery car park at the entrance to the village, free access, at the entrance to Amondans coming from Cléron on the left.
(S/E) Head towards the centre of the village, turning right at the war memorial. Pass to the left of the beautiful fountain in the Grande Rue, then turn right into Rue Choulet and turn left at the next fork.
(1) At the X-shaped crossroads, after the farm sheds, continue left despite the crosses, ignoring the signposts.
(2) At the main road, turn right downhill to the intersection.
(3) Continue right on the D103 towards Lizine. About a hundred metres after the small bridge over the Malans stream, on your left in the bend, you will see a small oratory hidden among the fir trees, containing a statue of the Virgin and Child. Enter the pasture and continue towards Val Sainte-Marie with its old holiday camp with retro charm. From 1834 to 1849, 34 Trappist monks from Switzerland lived in this cloister. Pass in front of the beautiful Roucheret farm and you will soon arrive at the Gouille Noire viewpoint.
(4) You will spot it by two green signs about a kilometre from the colony, in a hairpin bend, where a small gravel path on the right will lead you there. Then turn right and walk about 50 metres. At the signpost, turn right into the beautiful fir forest, walking along the ledges to discover the superb mossy sharp limestone pavement of the Bois des Serpents, which resemble menhirs. Then continue on to the heights of the Loue. You will soon arrive at the Piquette viewpoint over the Loue valley. It took more than five million years to create this magnificent landscape of meanders and gorges.
(5) About fifty metres after the viewpoint, there is a fork in the path. Take the path on the right that runs along the cliffs, leaving the marked trail. If you want to make a round trip to the Belvédère du Moulin Sapin viewpoint on the Lison river 500 metres away, continue to the left, following the markings (see Practical Information).
Join the D135 at a bend, go down it for a few metres and immediately turn right onto a small path leading downhill. Cross the departmental road again to reach another path opposite. Back near the road, continue a little further into the woods along the path on the right, which joins the departmental road at the bend.
(6) Continue right on this road, which shortly afterwards makes a hairpin bend to the right. Immediately afterwards, turn left onto the stony path for about 30 metres and, at a signpost (the sign was at the foot of the post when I passed by), go down the forest path on the right overlooking the Lison (towards Ornans).
(7) Cross the departmental road one last time and take the gravel path opposite, marked with yellow-red and yellow-blue signs, towards Amondans. Follow the banks of the Loue for nearly three kilometres, crossing gorges and meanders visible from the viewpoint. If you fancy a snack break, there is a bench opposite the Piquette farm.
(8) As the Loue curves to the left, the path moves away from the riverbank and climbs slightly up the hillside and into the woods. There are two nearby options for fording the river:
- (6a) Look out for the path on the left, marked by two yellow-blue-red General Council posts, which descends towards the Malans stream. You can wade across here, but the banks are a little high and the water may be deep during rainy periods.
- (6b) Continue along this path for another 50 metres to a more convenient ford. On the other bank, follow the path on the left to return to the first ford.
In both cases, you will arrive at a pasture, which you will follow to the right for fifty metres.
Turn right into the small strip of meadow. Go through the fence at the end (remember to close it behind you) and follow the path along the stream. Be careful! There is a difficult passage where the path runs alongside the stream, near a slender Y-shaped tree with closely spaced branches. It becomes a strip of slippery rock, not very high (1 metre from the bottom), but high enough to hurt yourself if you slip. Go around it by climbing slightly to the left, using a helpful root shaped like a handle. You will come to a pretty little waterfall. Climb a few more metres to the left to the pools above and turn back. Do not go any further.
(9) Return to the pasture and turn right, passing in front of the small shelter (marker). A marker post on the right indicates the start of a well-marked forest path that climbs towards Amondans.
(10) The forest track joins a gravel farm track, which you continue to follow uphill. You are now only two kilometres from the village. This track joins another, but you continue straight ahead. After 200 metres, a bench offers you a place to rest and a splendid view of the Loue valley and the hill of Châtillon-sur-Lisine through a clearing created by the local council. The track becomes tarmac.
(1) When you can see the village, you will come to a crossroads. Continue straight ahead along the beautifully named Rue de la Fontaine des Sages. Continue straight ahead at the crossroads, along Rue Louise Pommery, passing the manor house and the old watchtower house. Turn right to discover the large wash house with its slate roof. Then head left back up towards the village and the car park (S/E).
Rocky and slippery paths in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended.
, no bulls in sight.
Visorando member
Easy 
