La Vouivre à la Trace, the natural environments around Chenecey

A family walk around Chenecey, featuring information boards about the natural habitats and clues left by the Vouivre river as it flows through the area.

Set against the exceptional backdrop of the Loue Valley, set off on an exploration to discover a diverse and well-preserved natural heritage. It all stems from a karst landscape shaped over time, so ancient that it is home to a strange mythological creature.

For younger children, the walk comes with an explorer’s booklet full of puzzles. This booklet is available free of charge from the booklet box at the church and from local shops in the village (the Boulangerie de la Loue, the restaurant Chez Gervais, the post office and the town hall). You’ll need a pencil.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 3.16 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 1h 50 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 427 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 427 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,339 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 909 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) Starting from the church car park, turn left and walk up Rue de l'Église. Follow the green markings on street furniture and marker posts. You will arrive at Grande Rue.

(1) Cross it and take Rue du Stade. Then follow the Loue river through the floodplains. Chemin de la Fin crosses the Ruisseau du leat via a dry stone bridge typical of the boundaries of the old forges. A karstic resurgence, you will find it dry or flooded depending on the weather conditions at the time.

(2) At the edge of the Forges (private property not accessible to the public), go up the old lane lined with majestic lime trees on the left. A hundred-year-old weeping beech tree will greet you on the right. At the tarmac road, find the Chemin de Forges and follow it to the right. Turn left and walk up Rue des Charrières. At the bend, continue straight ahead until you reach the departmental road.

(3) Take care when crossing the RD440 after the hedge. A marker post serves as a warning. After leaving the last houses behind, take the Combe des Charrières, located in a dry valley. You will discover a centuries-old path with a gentle slope, lined with traditional piles of stone gathered from fields. Continue straight ahead until you reach the plateau, in an open landscape surrounded by dry grasslands. You will find yourself on Rue des Granges Mathieu.

(4) Follow it to Chemin du Gouffre.

(5) Turn right. Continue along the path to the viewpoint. In the woods, you will find a signpost indicating that you should continue straight ahead for a round trip to the viewpoint, where a bench awaits you in front of a breathtaking view of the great meander of the Loue.

(6) Retrace your steps to the signpost and turn right onto Sentier de la Fontaine Mathieu.

(7) When you reach the Mathieu Fountain, there is a picnic table where you can take a break before continuing on your way back. Continue on and, when you return to the top of the village, go down Rue de la Parouse, then turn right onto Rue de Ville until you reach Rue des Tilleuls.

(8) Turn left, then right onto Chemin du Bas des Combes. Cross the RD 110 with caution and take Allée du Presbytère opposite on the left. You will arrive in front of the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (12th century) (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 912 ft - Church car park - Loue (rivière)
  2. 1 : mi 0.16 - alt. 912 ft - Grande Rue - Loue (rivière)
  3. 2 : mi 0.74 - alt. 922 ft - Les Forges (private property)
  4. 3 : mi 1.14 - alt. 1,060 ft - Crossing the RD440
  5. 4 : mi 1.57 - alt. 1,220 ft - Rue des Granges Mathieu
  6. 5 : mi 1.8 - alt. 1,253 ft - Chemin du Gouffre
  7. 6 : mi 2.12 - alt. 1,299 ft - Grand Méandre viewpoint - Loue (rivière)
  8. 7 : mi 2.53 - alt. 1,152 ft - Mathieu Fountain
  9. 8 : mi 2.9 - alt. 965 ft - Rue des Tilleuls
  10. S/E : mi 3.16 - alt. 912 ft - Church car park - Loue (rivière)

Notes

An accompanying booklet is available free of charge at the starting point sign by the church (black box to the right of the lectern), from local shops, at the town hall, or for download (link).

Road access and car park

From Besançon Quingey: RN83, RD110

From Ornans: RD 440

Parking at the start of the walk

Church car park, Rue de l’Église, Chenecey-Buillon

Environmentally sensitive areas

Chenecey Caves Nature Reserve

Loue-Lison Natura 2000 site

Please take your rubbish away with you

Dogs must be kept on a lead

Report a problem or error: mairie@cheneceybuillon.fr

Enquiries

Chenecey-Buillon Town Hall, 03 81 60 30 90, mairie@cheneceybuillon.fr

Loue-Lison Tourist Office, 03 81 62 21 50

CPIE du Haut-Doubs, 03 81 49 82 99

Discovery trail created by the municipality of Chenecey-Buillon and the CPIE du Haut-Doubs with the support of France Relance Avenir Montagnes.

Worth a visit

Was this discovery too short? Continue your discovery along the river with the short Au fil de Loue trail ( blue drop symbol). To discover the municipality's heritage, continue along the Murs et Murmures trail (9 km).

Boulangerie de la Loue

Chez Gervais Hotel and Restaurant

Reviews and comments

Commune de Chenecey-Buillon
Commune de Chenecey-Buillon

PLEASE NOTE: ROADWORKS IN PROGRESS until March 2026

Roadworks on Rue de l'Église will be ongoing intermittently until March 2026. Pedestrian access is possible.

The welcome sign on Rue de l'Église is not accessible (nor is the self-service booklet box) and neither is station 2.

The welcome sign at the bridge car park on Rue du Stade should remain accessible. Booklets are available from local shops and the town hall.

Parking: please use the car park at the entrance to the village on Route de Besançon, the car park on Rue du Stade, or the football stadium.

We hope you enjoy exploring Chenecey!
The Town Hall.

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