Le Grand Méandre and Les Forges de Chenecey

Parking in Chenecey-Buillon, at the bottom of Grande Rue on the left before the bridge. No signposts, except for a mountain bike sign in the distance and a few "Grand Besançon" signposts.
Before setting off, head down to the nearby Loue river to take a look at the old bridge dating from 1835.

(S/E) Walk up Grande-Rue. At the crossroads, continue straight on Rue de l'Ancienne Fontaine, passing in front of the wash house (unfortunately disfigured by overly modern restoration). Then turn left at the fork into Rue de la Parouse. At the next junction nearby, climb to the right onto the small Chemin de la Parouse, which winds its way between two houses.

Before the climb, take a quick look at the old house on the right and its old doors, which have retained their old-fashioned charm. During the climb, catch your breath as you gaze at the ruins of the old feudal castle silhouetted against the sky.

(1) About a hundred metres after the last house in the village, leave the tarmac road and take a small path on the left marked by the Quingey Community of Communes (yellow sign indicating the viewpoint and the old fountains).

Halfway along, you will come across the old fountain and walk alongside numerous mossy piles of stone gathered from fields richer in large stones than good soil, which our farmers of yesteryear deposited at the edge of their properties. In spring, you will be accompanied by the scent of violets.

(2) When you reach the ridge, marked by a signpost, take the path on the left which climbs a few more metres to reach the viewpoint on the left.
There is a superb view of the Grand Méandre de la Loue: at your feet is the old mill, overlooked by the ruins of the feudal castle of Charencey and, on the far left, the massive silhouette of Mont Poupet. Turn around.

(2) Continue straight on towards Granges Mathieu, once again passing beautiful old moss-covered piles of stone gathered from fields. The path becomes stony as it descends and joins a small tarmac road.

(3) Turn right. You will pass some beautiful farms, some of which, spared from renovation, are still witnesses (probably not for much longer) to a bygone era. At No. 12, take a discreet peek through the gate at a drinking trough and its old pump.
At the junction with Chemin de la Parouse (a gravel road), turn left and walk about thirty steps, then immediately turn right down the gravel path of La Groteille, accompanied by a pile of stone gathered from fields and wooded sinkholes.

You are crossing a karst landscape characteristic of our region, known as sinkholes. The dissolution of surface limestone leads to the formation of circular depressions, which may or may not be wooded.

(4) At the next crossroads, turn left and, at a bend, turn right down a beautiful stony path. At the houses, continue straight on along the small tarmac road to reach the departmental road at a bend, marked "Stop". Turn right and walk downhill for about a hundred metres.

At the next junction, turn left down the small path of Rue des Charrières. It is a bit tarmac, but it offers lovely views of the Loue mountains.

(5) You will come to a "Give Way" sign and continue straight down Chemin des Forges. Go through the gate. Unfortunately, you cannot enter as the property is now private. Continue to the end of the building for a view of the Loue and then turn back.

(5) Turn left and continue straight ahead to the village to find the Grand Rue, which you will descend on the left to return to the car park. If you are feeling brave, cross over to say hello to the Virgin Mary, Notre-Dame de la Salette, on the other side of the bridge (S/E).

A little tarmac, but on roads with no traffic and offering beautiful views.

(S) The Chenecey bridge, built in 1835, replaced the fords and ferry crossings.

(S) (3) Old characterful farms, some of which have retained their pre-war charm.

(1) The Mathieu Fountain and the old stone walls: this is said to be the centre of the first inhabited area in the commune: the Granges Mathieu, located at the end of this path. You will see large piles of stones gathered from fields, no doubt the remains of old ruined houses.

Throughout your walk, you will be accompanied by these old mossy walls, built by our farmers of yesteryear when, ploughing their fields richer in large stones than good soil, they deposited them at the edge of their properties.

(2) The Grand Méandre de la Loue: emerging from the forest, the superb Grand Méandre viewpoint overlooks the Loue valley and the keep of the feudal castle of Charencey.

(2) The old mill on the banks of the Loue: By royal decree of 12 May 1824, Jean Lambert was authorised to build a mill on the Loue. No dam was to be built on the river, only the natural speed of the current was to be exploited, "without any prejudice to neighbouring properties upstream or downstream", according to the decree. The building housed a mill, then a sawmill.

(2) The ruins of Charencey Castle: a medieval fortified castle whose remains stand above the Grand Méandre de la Loue. The village of Chenecey was originally called Charencey. The castle defended the entrance to the gorge downstream from the village. It was also a refuge for the population.

(3) Karst landscapes consisting of sinkholes. The dissolution of surface limestone leads to the formation of circular depressions, which may or may not be wooded.

(5) Les Forges de Buillon: the forges and blast furnace were operated in 1677 by the Ployer family, originally from Germany, who established a tinplate factory there in 1695. The river enabled industrial activity throughout the valley and provided work for all the worker-farmers of Chenecey-Buillon, day and night. Now privately owned, it is not open to the public. What a shame!

(S) Notre Dame de la Salette: for brave or pious Visorandonneurs, a quick visit across the bridge to Notre-Dame de la Salette, protector of the village during the cholera epidemic that ravaged it in 1854.