The Norvaux valley

Discover one of the unique features of the Jura mountains: the reculées, narrow, deep valleys lined with high, steep walls, formed at the end of the ice ages by a gradual retreat of the valley floor into the plateau, ending in wild cirques. The Norvaux reculée ends in three cul-de-sacs carved out by the Pomme Gaude, Fontaine des Cassards and Fontaine de Fer streams.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.15 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 92 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 96 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 609 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 543 m

Photos

Description of the walk

To get to the car park: at the only roundabout on the outskirts of Amancey (coming from Besançon), take the D32 towards Flagey-Bolandoz. Turn left at the sign for "Sentier botanique Le Grand Bois". Park in the first lay-by on the left as you enter the woods (1.5 km from the roundabout). Yellow and blue signposts and a large section without signposts.

(S/E) Take the logging track at the end of the lay-by (not the first on the right which leads to the pasture), a grassy track but perfectly passable. You will soon come to a fork in the tracks and turn left, following the yellow-blue markings. After a short descent, you will come to a beautiful stone path climbing up the wooded hillside. You will soon reach a plateau.

(1) Turn right onto a path that has been freshly cleared by the local council (this may not always be the case). You will arrive at a strange calvary lost in the fir trees. Go around it on the right to discover a statue of the Virgin Mary.

(2) Look for and join a forest path on your left that crosses the pine forest and leads perpendicularly to a grassy path that goes around an area on the left that was probably logged a few years ago and is now more or less fallow. You will come to a fork in the path, one going up and the other down.

(3) Go down to the right towards the Ruisseau de Pomme Gaude, which you will cross, possibly getting your feet wet in the rainy season. Pass a beautiful old mossy pile of stones gathered from fields (dry stone wall) from the time when our Comtois farmers made better use of our forests. You will come to a wide path going downhill. Continue straight ahead along this beautiful stony path. Fork left onto the discovery trail marked with a sign (N° 50). The centenarians of Amancey, it is said, drank only the clear water from this spring

(4) Turn left onto the marked discovery trail that leads to the Norvaux viewpoint. Enjoy the beautiful view of the valley and, on the right, "Toumtatrou", the Rocher du Moine (Monk's Rock). Don't forget your binoculars!

(5) Take the path on the left (with your back to the viewpoint). You will come to some picnic tables. Cross this area and continue along the path that starts at the foot of the hut opposite. At the second signpost (I think), marking a crossroads, go down to the left, still following the signs. You will arrive at the top of a small valley.

(6) Continue straight ahead, crossing another small stream. You will come to a beautiful wide stone road which you climb up on the left, still following the markings. Look out for the yellow and blue cross about 400 m further on, on the left, and, opposite, the small forest sign No. 7 and, more visible in red, the large numbers 8, 9 and 10 carved into the trunk (but will they still be there?). A path descends steeply down the hillside.

(7) Go down this path on the left towards the pretty little gorges of the Ruisseau des Cassards, the start of the Norevaux valley.

(8) Sorry, turn back, all you can do now is climb back up to the gravel road, but this little corner of wilderness was well worth the effort.

(7) Continue left up the gravel road, ignoring the signs until you reach a fork (signposts). Continue straight ahead (left lane) to the car park. (S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 607 m - Logging area
  2. 1 : km 0.4 - alt. 586 m - Stony path
  3. 2 : km 0.51 - alt. 571 m - Calvary and Virgin Mary
  4. 3 : km 0.94 - alt. 552 m - Pomme Gaude stream
  5. 4 : km 1.19 - alt. 557 m - Source: Comboyer
  6. 5 : km 2.01 - alt. 557 m - Norvaux viewpoint
  7. 6 : km 2.54 - alt. 547 m - A little way off the beaten track
  8. 7 : km 3.34 - alt. 583 m - Fork in the road. Return trip to the Gorges du Ruisseau des Cassards
  9. 8 : km 3.48 - alt. 543 m - Ruisseau des Cassards. Reculée de Norvaux
  10. S/E : km 5.15 - alt. 607 m

Notes

This is a walk to enjoy after a rainy spell, when you can appreciate the beauty of the streams without worrying about getting your feet wet!

Worth a visit

FLAGEY: The Flagey farm, owned by the Courbet family, where Juliette, the painter's favourite sister, kept his memory alive, was the first site to be opened: renovation work began in early 2008 and the site was inaugurated in July 2009.

ORNANS: The Courbet Museum, a permanent exhibition dedicated to the artist's work.

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 1 review

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Christian delode
Christian delode

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a lovely walk in the forest with a beautiful viewpoint and a pleasant stream to wade across
the picnic tables along the route are very welcome
the descent at forest signpost number 7 is very steep and slippery, and the return trip is just as steep!

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