Le Peu and the Grotte des Bougeottes

Parking in Laviron, at the foot of the church, after the old weighbridge.

(S/E) Walk past the church square and head towards Sancey-le-Grand (D31) Rue du Petit Laviron. After the tennis court, follow the sign for Table d'orientation, Site du Peu, Accès VTT et pédestre (orientation table, Peu site, mountain bike and pedestrian access) 3.6 km away. The yellow and blue markings will lead you to the village exit. On the way, on the left, you will see two beautiful drinking fountains and a cul de four with a slate roof.

(1) Continue carefully along the departmental road for 1,200 metres and turn right onto a small tarmac road (towards Liaison^GR®, Pays de Montbéliard). There is a beautiful view of the mountains and, in particular, the wind turbines at Lomont.

(2) When you reach the woods, walk about ten steps and look for a small path on the left (mountain bike route no. 48) that leads into them. This will take you back to the D31, which you cross, turning left towards the trail signs. Then take the path on the right towards the orientation table. At a chalet, you will come to a discovery trail with a circular loop that closes here. I must admit that I did not pay attention to the return trail. But if you spot where the circular loop closes, take the path on the right that goes uphill and continue along the small road you came on.

(3) At the end of the discovery trail, continue straight ahead towards the VTT48 route, despite the yellow and blue cross indicating that you should not continue. You will arrive at a stone path, which you should take to the left, still heading towards the orientation table. Quickly, on the left at a signpost, continue in the same direction on this same stone path.

(4) You will arrive at a large clearing. The stones give way to tarmac and you will soon turn left, following the signs to reach the two viewpoints at an altitude of over 800 m. From these points, you can enjoy a 270° panorama: the hills of Besançon, the Doubs valley, the Haute-Saône, the Vosges, the Rhine Rift Valley, the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), the Jura mountains, the Swiss Alps and Mont Blanc. From this site, you can see 27 bell towers in the Doubs department. The first viewpoint is located in a pasture on the right. For the second, continue for 300 metres past the water tower, then turn back to the small tarmac road and turn left.

(5) You will reach a wider route and continue straight ahead (towards Suite du Circuit, Grottes des Bougeottes, Route VVT 48, Ormont).

(6) After passing a farm on your left in a bend 250 m ahead, look out for a signpost, a marker on a fence post and on the road, inviting you to turn right into the field (no marked path), but keep to the right of a hedge of trees, following the markers to the end of the field, where you enter the woods via a small hiking trail (mountain bike marker).

(7) 100 m after entering the forest, at two stone markers, look for the signpost indicating that you should turn left (hairpin bend). You will arrive at a sort of roundabout with three trees in the centre. Turn left here. The forest path becomes stony and joins another stony path (at a right-angle bend), which you take to the left (towards Grotte des Bougeottes). Soon (after 200 m), a cross will prevent you from continuing, so turn right onto a small, barely visible and not very well maintained but well-marked path. After 300 m, turn left and follow the signs. At a signpost, turn left and look for the Grottes des Bougeottes sign, which is hidden among the trees at a crossroads. Then turn right onto a small path that leads to the caves. After your visit, retrace your steps and turn right to pass above the caves (towards ^GRP® Montbéliard).

(8) You will rejoin the gravel road you left earlier and turn right onto it. Cross a clearing, passing through two gates. Almost at the end, take the path going up to the left (towards Gite de Laviron).

(9) You will arrive at another large clearing, which you will walk along the edge of. You will come to a first path, which you will ignore, continuing to follow the markers. You will enter the undergrowth for a few more moments and come out into a large meadow. Walk along the edge of the woods on your left until you come to a stony path and a magnificent 180° view of Lomont, Landresse and beyond. Descend to the right to reach a small tarmac road, then turn right again (towards Retour Laviron) until you reach a farm.

(10) Before the post box, take a path on the left to go down the hill.

(11) At four small log steps, you will reach a wider path. The layout of the markers is a little confusing, but go straight up to the left, following the markings.

(12) A good kilometre further on, when you see the pastures between the trees on your right, look for a marker inviting you to turn right to reach them. Walk along a hedge of trees, then you will come to a stony path that joins a tarmac road. Go down to the right to return to Laviron.

(13) 700 metres further down, you will come across the alternative route.

(14) In the village, at the intersection of Rue de la Tannerie and Rue du Caucheux, continue straight ahead despite the yellow and blue cross, towards the centre of Laviron. At the fountain, turn left for 300 m to see the last fountain and return to the church and car park (S/E).

The 860-metre-highPeu hill offers a 270° panorama: the hills of Besançon, the Doubs valley, the Haute-Saône, the Vosges, the Rhine Rift Valley, the Black Forest, the Jura mountains, the Swiss Alps and Mont Blanc. You can see 27 church towers in the Doubs department. The Grotte des Bougeottes, nestled in lush greenery, is steeped in history. It was a place of refuge for local residents during the troubled times of the Ten Years' War and the French Revolution.