La Roche Lahier

Parking is available at the exit of Ornans, at the very beginning of the D492 (Route de Saules) on the right, heading towards Saules.

Yellow and blue signposts

(S/E) With your back to the Loue, walk a few steps forward and take the small gravel road on the right towards Belvédère de Gougnot - Roche Lahier. As you start the climb, the road turns into a beautiful rocky path. Halfway up the slope, in front of a cave, the path forks.

(1) Continue to the right in the same direction (Gougnot-Saules). Shortly after the cave, when the path reaches a plateau, ignore a path on your left. When the path turns right, ignore another stony path that climbs to the left. Continue to the picnic tables and signpost No. 26 (Belvédère de Gougnot). Ignore the large stony path on your left and descend the small path on the right to the secure viewpoint of Roche Lahier overlooking the valley of the Loue.

(2) Leave the viewpoint via the path that runs along the cliff for a second viewpoint upstream towards Montgesoye. Climb back up to the old wall and then head right, along the cliffs. You will walk along beautiful indentations, continuing along the line of cornices.

(3) Look for a small path that branches off to the right towards a small promontory, an unsecured viewpoint upstream of the valley, but a nice place to stop for a snack if there aren't too many of you. Soon, the path turns sharply left and climbs uphill. At the top, the path widens and forks.

(4) Turn right. After 200 m, you will reach a stone path. Turn right again and you will soon come to another fork in the stone paths.

(5) Turn left towards La Roche Bottine (circuit 26). Walk past a few bungalows and, at the fork in the hiking trails, continue straight ahead towards Roche Bottine - Ornans. Be careful about a hundred metres further on, opposite a sign for Saules - Bois Gougnot, and look for a path going down the wooded hillside on the left.

(6) Leave this stony road and take the path that descends to the left into the woods (towards Roche Bottine - Ornans). After a steep descent, you will reach a wide stony path. Turn right and walk for about 30 metres until you reach a green sign (protected natural area), then take the small path on the left which will lead you to the Roche Bottine viewpoint, following the ledges. There is a 180° view of Ornans, topped by the Vierge de la Roche du Mont, and of the upper and lower parts of the Loue Valley.

(7) Return along the path that turns away from the viewpoint and joins the nearby gravel road. Go down to the left. You will come to another path and continue downhill. Two hundred metres after the second hairpin bend, look out for a metal barrier on your left (Combe Volon signpost).

(8) Cross the meadow , closing the gates behind you to prevent the horses from escaping. Walk down the meadow to the next gate, then take the Chemin de Chandouillot. At the stop sign, turn left to return to the nearby car park (S/E).

(!) The route includes cliff-side paths and unsecured viewpoints. The paths are rocky and slippery in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended.

You will return via the aptly named Chemin de Chandouillot, which exudes the charm of Franche-Comté. Chandouillot is an ancient place name found mainly in the Jura and Loue regions. It probably comes from a Franche-Comté diminutive derived from the word chandou, itself derived from the Old French chandoul, chandoulx, which referred to a damp or marshy place. The suffix illot in our countryside reinforces the meaning of "small", giving literally "small damp ground" or "small marsh".

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. The Museum of Costume and Comtois Traditions. With nearly 200 mannequins, the museum traces the history of the costumes worn by the people of Franche-Comté from 1850 to 1930.