La Sommette walks

La Roche Barchey, "the pierced rock" in Celtic, where witches of yesteryear celebrated their demonic cult, offers a vast panorama of the Val de Vennes and the Haut-Doubs from its height of 988 metres. You will then descend through the beautiful fir forests of La Joux towards the more Catholic Sainte-Radegonde, who, it is said, fought an evil ghoul, perhaps descended from the rock, on the night of a sabbath, on the site where her chapel was built.

From the foot of a medieval calvary, head towards the Belvédère des Genevois in the small, remote valley of Martinvaux, passing through beautiful pine forests with slender trees. Then descend to the Source de la Reverotte and follow it to the Puits de la Doye and the Grotte de la Baume.

A walk around the Cirque de Consolation with a thrilling variety of views and valleys. Beautiful panoramic views and bodies of water on way.

A wild, 350-metre-deep valley, the Cirque de Consolation, framed by magnificent cliffs, is a paradise for hikers and nature lovers. You can discover it from two viewpoints, Chauve Roche at the bottom of the valley and Sainte-Catherine downstream and the old seminary. After a visit to the old priory of Laval, you will climb back up to the plateau, along the aptly named Pissoux, through a superb wild and mossy valley.

From the top of the Roche du Miroir, at the viewing point, you can admire the Dessoubre valley, which is overlooked in places by high cliffs, home to chamois and peregrine falcons then, along a charming path winding and weaving between superbly carved rocks, you will cross sunny meadows to reach the Montbéliardot arboretum and its sculptures. Return via La Vie au Loup, skirting the edge of the cliffs with a panoramic view of the entire plateau.

Set off to explore the Barchet Pond and its peat bog. This vast wetland is a remarkable reservoir of biodiversity. Its soil, permanently saturated with stagnant water, deprives the microorganisms responsible for decomposing organic matter of the oxygen they need for their metabolism. The plant litter mineralises slowly and partially. It then accumulates gradually, forming a poorly decomposed or undecomposed deposit: peat.

After visiting the source, you will climb to the Dard viewpoint, located at an altitude of 600 metres above Sancey-le-Grand, overlooking the valley with the Château de Belvoir and the Lomont mountain range crowned by fifteen wind turbines in the background. Then, from this magnificent rocky amphitheatre, a sunny valley will lead you to the wild cliffs of the Cul de Voye.

"In the shade" is a misnomer for this route, which takes you along beautiful sunny forest paths, bordering pastures and woods, to the fortified castle of Belvoir, overlooking the Val de Sancey. Don't forget to visit the old village, centred around its 14th-century market halls, but beware of the irreverent Madge-Fâ as you pass underneath. Finally, you will descend into the valley via the Chemin de la Vie à la Mort (Path of Life and Death), no doubt invigorated by this country walk.

From the picturesque village of Bizot, with its farms, courthouse and 16th-century church, the route takes you up a superb steep ridge path to the ruins of Réaumont Castle. You return via the peat bogs, skirting piles of stones gathered from fields and the Étang des Belles Seignes lake.

A short, varied and shaded route to discover the ancient Hiboux valley, the old Cistercian abbey and the magnificent Audeux waterfall.

Hike between Sancey-le-Long and Belvoir, two towns in the Franche-Comté region with lots of character and superb panoramic views of the valley and Lomont.

Starting from the charming little village of Vaucluse, Val Clos, this hike offers superb views of the Dessoubre valley, starting with the Baron's viewpoint, then the Cul de Vau valley and finally Vaucluse and its former priory, not to mention the various balconies overlooking the valley that you will pass along the way.

From the ridges and along the river, discover the Val du Cusancin, which starts at the foot of the Saint-Ermenfroi Chapel. Formed by two resurgences, it offers visitors shades of blue and green. As you climb higher, you will enjoy views of the valley from two rocky promontories.

You will walk along the riverbank towards the ridges, passing the Narines du Diable (Devil's Nostrils), created from the tears of a good fairy who was imprisoned here, and discover the ancient thermal baths where the beautiful people of the Belle Époque came to recharge their batteries. You will then return along a path lined with old mossy piles of stones gathered from fields, in a green setting that invites you to linger and contemplate.

The village has one of the oldest names in our county: Bois de la Fontaine au Loup(Wood of the Wolf's Fountain). So, let's take a walk in the woods while the wolf is away, exploring the magnificent ridge line of Mont Dommage and Chassignole and their views over the Doubs valley, returning via the Val de Bléfond, forgotten by the world with its vats and waterfalls.

Starting from Silley-Bléfond, this loop combines forest trails, rocky ledges and viewpoints over the Doubs valley. You will discover Mont Dommage, the Chassignole viewpoint and enjoy magnificent views of Baume-les-Dames, the Roches du Quin and the Roche du Rechevet. A varied and panoramic hike, with a few sections requiring caution.

A beautiful stretch of cliffs and steep forest slopes offer magnificent views of the valley along a superb ridge path, ending with a glimpse of the industrial past of Baume-les-Dames with its old pipe factory and paper mill on the riverbank.