The Upper Vallière Valley

This is a little-known hike offering magnificent views, all less than 10 km from Lons-le-Saunier

Details

7747652
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 13.91 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 446 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 437 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 543 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 317 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Small car park after the centre of Conliège, towards Haut Jura, next to a small boules court.

(S/E) Cross the main road and turn right for about 100 metres. Then turn left onto Rue de la Baumette, which climbs gently. This street is the start of an old railway line. Follow this track for 4 km. Pass behind Revigny station.

(1) After the station, continue along the old railway line until you reach a tunnel.

(2) Continue through the old lit tunnel in Revigny, and further on, cross a viaduct.

(3) Shortly after this viaduct, join a small road that climbs up to the plateau at a place called La Baume.
Turn left onto this road and begin the climb to its summit, about 500 m away.

(4) Once at the top, just before a farm shed, an unmarked path branches off to the left along the embankment. From this point onwards, you will be following the corniche. Stay on this small path which runs along the precipice for 1 km until you reach the signpost for a place called "Le Faite".

(5) Follow the road to the left for 300 m, then take a path on the left, signposted Belvédère de la Guillotine and Les Cent Marches. You will reach the signpost for "La Guillotine".

(6) Then follow the signs for Les Cent Marches, following theredand whiteGR®markings for 1.6 km.

(7) Take a break at the Belvédère de la Guillotine viewpoint to admire much of the route you have covered, from the tunnel exit to the viaduct and then along the corniche.
Then head towards the Les Cents Marches signpost.

(8) Now follow the signs for En Dodon, then Le Chemin du Facteur, first taking the road on the left until you reach an intersection. Take the left side of this intersection until you reach the stop sign. Follow the signs for Belvédère des Tilleuls, which offers a superb view of Lons-le-Saunier and the Bresse plain. Continue to follow the red and white signs.

(9) After Belvédère des Tilleuls, continue along the path that descends overlooking the road connecting Conliège to Briod. You will arrive at the signpost "Le chemin du facteur".

(10) Follow the path to the right to the Croix des Équinoxes via a beautiful climb of a few hundred metres.

(11) At this point, turn left and follow the signs for the Hermitage along a steep path, which will reward walkers when they reach the top. Follow the red and white markings to the Hermitage.

(12) Pass by the Croix de Charnay, which overlooks Conliège. Continue on theGR® and arrive at Camps Romain.

(13) Pass in front of the Sainte-Anne Hermitage (Conliège).

(13) After a well-deserved break, descend to the left towards Conliège station. Pass in front of the Ancienne Gare des Courtillettes.

(15) Continue downhill along the Sentier Derrière les Jardins, then towards Conliège le Saugeois, marked in yellow.
Follow the markings carefully. When you reach the main road (D355), turn right, then left onto Ruelle Marchande, still marked in yellow.
At the end of this street, turn right onto Rue Derrière les Jardins, towards Le Saugeois, until you reach (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 317 m - Car park next to the boules court
  2. 1 : km 1.91 - alt. 381 m - Revigny station
  3. 2 : km 3.24 - alt. 427 m - Revigny Tunnel
  4. 3 : km 4.02 - alt. 446 m - Viaduct
  5. 4 : km 4.75 - alt. 518 m - Summit of the hill
  6. 5 : km 5.9 - alt. 535 m - "Le Faîte" signpost
  7. 6 : km 6.55 - alt. 536 m - "La Guillotine" signpost
  8. 7 : km 6.88 - alt. 538 m - La Guillotine
  9. 8 : km 8.16 - alt. 519 m - The Hundred Steps
  10. 9 : km 9.21 - alt. 516 m - Belvédère des Tilleuls
  11. 10 : km 9.8 - alt. 452 m - "Chemin du Facteur" signpost - Fontaine de Fontenaille (Conliège)
  12. 11 : km 10.02 - alt. 508 m - Cross of the Equinoxes
  13. 12 : km 10.34 - alt. 525 m - Croix de Charney (Conliège)
  14. 13 : km 12.41 - alt. 500 m - Camps romain de Coldre (Conliège)
  15. 14 : km 12.44 - alt. 492 m - Ermitage Sainte-Anne (Conliège)
  16. 15 : km 12.97 - alt. 404 m - At Les Courtillettes
  17. S/E : km 13.91 - alt. 317 m - Parking next to the boules court

Notes

A few precautions for this hike:
- Bring a torch to go through the tunnel. Normally, it lights up when walkers pass through, but this lighting is sometimes faulty. For those who are claustrophobic, it is possible to bypass the tunnel by going down into the stream to the right of the entrance and climbing up the other side on a narrow but well-marked path.
- Between points (11) and (13), if the ground is wet, you must be very careful, as the path is narrow, sometimes sloping or uneven, and the ground is slippery.
- In general, it is recommended that you wear suitable footwear.

Worth a visit

During this hike, don't miss the landscapes of the corniche, the site of the Croix de Charnay with its view of Conliège and the highlight of the Hermitage Sainte-Anne.
The path between the Croix des Équinoxes and the Hermitage is known locally as the Sentier des Chamois (Chamois Trail). With a little luck, silence and observation, it is quite possible to see these beautiful animals.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 19 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Marc Boisson
Marc Boisson
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. Thank you for creating it.
I confirm that I also had some doubts at point 4. I found myself in a meadow, which I crossed until I reached the road.
The last third of the route is difficult compared to the rest of the trail. The steep path and fallen trees must be difficult to navigate in wet weather.

Machine-translated

Daniel Janine
Daniel Janine

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The path is not marked, so between the farm shed and the "Le Faîte" sign, follow the barbed wire fence where possible because of the precipice, cut across the fields from time to time without losing sight of the path, and take the last section through the fields towards the road (we had the pleasant surprise of seeing four chamois! On the other hand, the Guillotine viewpoint is no longer signposted but easy to find.
The trail was very wet between 11am and 1pm on this day in October due to the heavy rainfall this week. We have done this beautiful hike four times and recommend doing it in good weather.

Machine-translated

merlin patrick
merlin patrick

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 14, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike even in summer, the trail is wooded
After point 4, we followed the ridge but at one point we found ourselves in a meadow and couldn't find the trail again. After the Fontenaille fountain, there are trees on the GR and in some places it is a little difficult to get through
We couldn't find the Roman camp.
Despite these comments, it was a superb hike where we enjoyed admiring the different landscapes and views

Machine-translated

cotedor
cotedor

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

many interesting sites: panoramas, tunnels, viaducts. However, paths are often slippery in wet weather.

Machine-translated

DenisBurel
DenisBurel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 04, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk. We avoided the slippery section between points 11 and 13 by going around it via the upper route (Biolay Farm, St Etienne Church).

Machine-translated

D V
D V
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike with some slightly difficult sections because the terrain was slippery.

Machine-translated

Awaba
Awaba

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike.
Difficult between points 11 and 13, especially with the humidity, slippery ground and narrow path. It's best not to be afraid of heights!

Machine-translated

balladecordier
balladecordier

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

smooth

Machine-translated

randonneur 39
randonneur 39

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a beautiful hike, especially in the second part, which is rather technical

Machine-translated

Jojobehem
Jojobehem

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I started this hike from the Perrigny greenway car park.
On the way there, I took the greenway to join the route described at Conliège station.
On the way back, I took the GR59.
The total distance was 17.6 km, which I covered in 4 hours and 50 minutes, including a snack break at the Belvédère des Tiilleuls.
It's a beautiful route, slightly marred by the noise of heavy traffic in the valley below on this May Day weekend.
I only saw two other hikers on the trail.
As it had rained during the night, the path between points 11 and 13 was very slippery and had to be tackled with caution without walking sticks, which was my case even though I was equipped with good shoes.
Thank you to the person who created this beautiful route.

Machine-translated

MINOMICHEL
MINOMICHEL

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

It's a very beautiful hike that offers several route options depending on your preferences and the time you have available. Personally, I would head straight for Hermitage, climb up, then take the wooded path to reach the plateau and finish up in Revigny, but it's still a very beautiful route

Machine-translated

jobici1194
jobici1194

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I ran most of this hike. It was a very interesting route with beautiful views and a lovely hermitage. The only slight issue was at point 14, where it would have been simpler to say "turn left and continue..."

Machine-translated

jll39
jll39

Hello,
To be sure, I retraced the route this morning: the result was 14.5 km in 3 hours and 3 minutes.
To reach 17 km, there must have been a mistake in the route.
Happy hiking.
JL

Machine-translated

jll39
jll39

Hello,
Thank you for your comments.
It's surprising that there's such a difference in the distance. I mapped out this route in real life using Visorando, and I just checked it on another website... the result: 13.7 km.
I will have to go and check it again on site.
Happy hiking!
JL

Machine-translated

Mijo
Mijo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, easy up to point 10 with magnificent views along the entire route. Mostly shaded.
Much more physically demanding from point 10 to the hermit's fountain, walking sticks are a must. There is a steep climb with steps and a handrail in very poor condition, making it difficult to find handholds.
However, it is 17 km long according to my GPS (several of us got the same result) and not 14 km as advertised. Yet I measured it again with another software programme and got 14 km... where is the error?

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.