The Chemin des Batteries

Climbing car park, Chemin du Mont. Yellow-blue markings, mountain biking, sign for the ‘Sentier du Fort et des Batteries’, mountain biking and some unmarked sections.

(S/E) Head down the small stony road. When it bends sharply to the left, take a path on the right into a copse, following it all the way (markings likely temporary: blue arrows and dots). Stay on this path through the copse until you reach the Bois des Épesses and a wider forest track; take this to the right for about a hundred metres, until you reach a Yellow Cross.

(1) Turn onto the path (not shown on the IGN map) which climbs up to the right (markings point in the opposite direction). You’ll soon cross a path at right angles; continue climbing along the edge of a fir forest until you reach a fork marked by a signpost. Head left up the ‘Sentier du Fort et des Batteries’ to reach an old, moss-covered pile of stone gathered from fields and continue along the path which will lead you to the powder magazine carved out of the rock.

(2) Set off again along the widest path that goes round it. At the crossroads, carry on straight on towards the small tarmac road and its signpost. Then turn left and, at the nearby fork, turn right onto the ‘Chemin des Épesses’. The road gradually loses its tarmac surface and leads to the entrance to the fort. There you will find the remains of an old bridge and its moat and, a little further on, some ruins; if curiosity draws you there, do not let it override caution. Keep your distance for fear of rockfalls.

(3) To the right of the entrance, take the Yellow-Blue marked path, following the ditches for about a hundred metres. This path joins another at right angles. The markings will suggest you turn left. Do not do so; turn right instead. Continue straight on until you reach a junction with various paths and several crossroads. Turn left at the first junction, then head straight down at the second and third junctions until you soon reach a pretty valley. Ignore the first path that climbs to the right and continue down to the second one.

(4) Take this path which climbs to the right and passes under a high-voltage power line. Shortly afterwards, at the fork in the paths, head down to the left. The path turns right, skirting the meadows, and you’ll arrive in a small valley at the foot of a fir forest (forest signpost 22), joining a path which you follow uphill to the right until you reach a wide, well-graveled track and a Grand Besançon signpost marking the start of a trail.

(5) Climb up to the left. Continue left again along the stony track for a round trip to the Rattes battery. Head back down the stony track to the next bend and turn left onto the path which joins the previous wide, well-graveled track. Continue to the left.

(6) Don’t miss, shortly afterwards, a stony path (marked by a signpost) which climbs the wooded hillside on the right. A little further up, look out for a small track on the left leading to a short round trip to a karst spring. After a short climb, at the fork, continue to the right along this stony path and cross the pastures of the beautifully named Combe aux Bâtards, leaving two paths on your right. You’ll reach a crossroads with a bench where you can take a short break and enjoy the view over the Saône plain and the imposing silhouette of Mont Poupet.

(7) Head up to the right, then immediately left at the fork (towards “Sentier du Fort et des Batteries”). Walk into the woods for about 25 metres.

(8) Climb up to the right (despite the crosses) along a path that leads you to the Avancée battery, somewhat hidden amongst the brambles. At the top of the battery, there is the base of an anti-aircraft battery (difficult to access in summer). Soon, an old stone marker indicates a fork in the path. Turn left, quickly joining a path running perpendicular to it. Turn right without entering the meadow, but continue left along the path that runs along the edge of the woodland to reach the beautiful, unsecured viewpoint overlooking the feudal castle of Montfaucon and the Besançon mountains.

(9) Set off again to the right (facing the viewpoint), then cross three meadows, keeping to the wooded edge on your left. At the last meadow, enter the woods and you’ll soon come out onto a wider path with a signpost. Head up to the right, still following the sign for ‘Sentier du Fort et des Batteries’, passing the old Fontaine du Champ des Creux fountain, and you’ll reach the car park 150 metres further on. (S/E)

The route includes ledge paths and unsecured viewing points. The paths are rocky and slippery in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and the use of walking poles is recommended.