The Fox’s Cave

Car park in front of the old lime kilns on Rue des Fours à Chaux in Chalezeule. The route is marked by signposts at junctions. Yellow markings for mountain biking and trail running, with large sections unmarked. Bus stop: Four à Chaux.

(S/E) Walk around the lime kilns, return to Rue des Fours à Chaux and turn right. At the end of the street, continue straight on along Rue des Vareilles du Milieu, then turn left up Chemin des Buis to reach the viewpoint overlooking the Doubs valley and the ruins of the feudal castle of Montfaucon.

(1) Set off again along the path at the far end, passing between two large stones. After 200 metres, at the first fork, continue straight down (left-hand path). At the second fork, continue down to the left. A little further down, at an X-shaped junction, continue down to the right. Join and follow the Rebondaine cul-de-sac, with views of Montfaucon Castle and the Doubs Valley. Join the Chemin des Prés de Vaux.

(2) Follow the river on your right until just past the dog training club. Carefully pass behind the wooden barriers on the left-hand side of the road. As you come out of the bend, opposite the gap between the barriers, a signpost marked 113d indicates the start of a path on the other side of the road.

(3) Climb steeply up the winding log steps and pass in front of an old hut.

(4) At signpost 113b, join the small tarmac road to Échenoz Saint-Paul; turn right onto this road and follow it to the dead end. Head up the first path on the left, passing close to a small cave and above some old ruins – perhaps former ‘cabordes’, those winegrowers’ huts so common in our Besançon hills. Cross at right angles onto a path, which you follow to the right for about fifty metres. Take the path that climbs steeply to the left. At the top, you’ll come to a wide forest track; turn left onto this for a few dozen metres to reach the ‘dry grasslands’ of the Grand Désert.

(5) Head straight ahead across the open space, following the forest track, guided by a signpost (121) at the edge of a small tarmac road. Cross the road and continue straight on along the gravelly path that winds through the grasslands, keeping the edge of the woodland on your left.

(6) Enter the woods on the left (post 129e), heading towards Fort de Brégille, to reach the cliff-top path (129d). Then turn right and continue straight on, following the top of the ditches, and descending a few steps on the left. Do not take the dangerous path that runs along the top of the walls. Pass by a superb view of the Citadel and the Besançon mountains.

(7) Descend into the moats and turn right (post 129c) for a 800-metre circular loop through the fort’s moats. Then head back up to the left to the fort’s entrance for another view of the Citadel and the old town of Besançon.

(8) Head down the stony path opposite the entrance (signpost 129). Soon, ignore a path on your left and continue straight down to reach a fork (signpost 127b). Turn right towards the Grand Désert. You’ll reach a tarmac road at a hairpin bend. Head up to the right until you come out of the next bend.

(9) Head up the path on the left to reach an X-shaped junction. At the first fork, turn left and then right at the second. You’ll reach a tarmac road, which you follow down to the left for about a hundred metres.

(10) Turn right onto a lovely, straight forest lane: the Grande Sommière. Continue straight on for about 800 m (passing signpost 138 and its fork), heading towards Vareilles Dessus, until you reach the end of this straight lane (signpost 130).

(11) Stay on this path, which curves slightly to the left (towards Chalezeule), until you reach a crossroads (signpost 132, Trail 3). Turn right towards Prés de Vaux for a few metres until you reach another fork (signpost 131). Head down to the right (Prés de Vaux) then, immediately to the left, to visit the Grotte du Renard.

(12) Head back up the path that passes in front of the cave, then turn right onto this ridge path which overlooks the valley in places. Carry on straight ahead at the next fork. Then ignore a path leading down to your right, staying on this ledge. You’ll reach a wider, stony path which you take to the right, then come to another X-junction. Take the right-hand route (mountain bike route 88) to reach the viewpoint.

(1) Turn left and follow the route back to the car park. (S/E)

The route includes ledge paths and unsecured viewpoints. The paths are rocky and slippery in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and the use of walking poles is recommended.

It’s close to the town, certainly, but make no mistake – this isn’t just a leisurely stroll: the climb up Mont de Bregille, between points (3) and (5), will really leave you out of breath!

(S) The lime kilns: lime production in Chalezeule is a long-standing tradition, dating back to the 12th century; it was the village’s main economic activity, and its name, Calisola, was derived from the word for lime. The lime kiln, or ‘chaufour’ – a calcination kiln (a vertical, fixed structure open at the top with a wide inner wall, usually lined with bricks) – transformed limestone into quicklime. This was then slaked in an adjacent pit using a large quantity of water, before being placed in barrels for use in masonry. During the 19th century, lime was also used in agriculture to liming the soil, restoring a neutral pH to soil that tends to become acidic.

(5) The Grand Désert: dry grasslands occur on shallow limestone soils, which are generally poor in nutrients available to plant species, well-drained and exposed to harsh conditions of drought and heat. Often regarded as wasteland, they are in fact home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, with Mediterranean affinities, and play an important role in the landscape.

(7) The Citadel: overlooking the old capital of the Comté region from a height of around a hundred metres, it is one of the masterpieces of Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633–1707), military engineer to King Louis XIV. The site was listed in 1924 and has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2008. The foundation stone of the Citadel was laid on Mont Saint-Étienne (whose strategic importance was noted as early as 58 BC by Julius Caesar) in 1668, whilst the town was still a possession of the Spanish Crown.

(8) Bregille Fort – also known as Fort Morand – perched at an altitude of 446 metres, was built from 1820 onwards. Like most of Besançon’s fortifications (and fortunately so), it was never used in times of conflict. You can walk around it via the moats, making for an intriguing and enjoyable stroll.

(12) The Grotte du Renard: remember to bring a torch. The cave’s main interest lies in its geology, but in 1805, there was mention of a small cave on Mont Bregille where a small treasure was discovered: two axes, a copper vase, a bronze handle and 250 coins, some of which were from the time of Nero.