The Montfaucon valley

Park in the car park opposite the stadium, at the top of the village of Montfaucon. Yellow-blue signposting. The section below the castle is unmarked.

(S/E) Walk up Rue de la Comtesse Henriette, the path along the castle’s banks. On the right, you’ll see an old fountain with a pump. When the road bends at a 90° angle, take the Chemin du Donjon on the left, signposted ‘Château Fort – Montfaucon’. There is a lovely view over the valley, dominated by the ruins of the old castle that once belonged to the powerful family of feudal lords of Montfaucon. This path will take you to the foot of the castle, which has been restored by a voluntary organisation. On the right is an old spring.

(1) Climb up to the castle, passing under the reconstructed old gate. Take the stony path on the left, which first leads you to the old parish church built in 1311, then takes you past the entrance tower and the ramparts to reach the old keep, now home to crows. There’s a table set up for a picnic if you fancy one. Climb up to the foot of the keep via a small footbridge to admire the view over the Doubs valley and the small valley.

(2) Cross the footbridge again and walk past the flagpole (without a flag) to find a small stone staircase, rejoining the path that winds around the ruins. Continue to the right, passing below the church. When the path begins a hairpin bend to reach the castle entrance, carry on straight along the path despite the Yellow Cross and Blue Cross indicating it is off-limits (currently, a fallen tree obscures the start of the path). You’ll walk alongside old ruins covered in ivy. Do not be tempted to get too close (risk of rockfalls). Continue to the very tip of the promontory, following the left-hand edge. Carefully descend the slippery path between small rocks, then go round two large rocks on the right and follow the other side of the ruins to return to the entrance gate, then head back down to the small tarmac road to return to the foot of the castle.

(1) Head down into the small strip of meadow on the left, keeping the fence on your right. The path turns left and levels out for about a hundred metres, offering views over the Doubs valley.

(3) When the path starts to descend again, head left up a narrow track, ignoring the Yellow Cross and Blue Cross signposts. You’ll be accompanied by the scent of boxwood, so characteristic of our Besançon limestone hills. You’ll reach a more open area with dry stone walls on the left – no doubt remnants of terraced farming – and soon arrive at the wild Nacra ravine, fording a first small stream, continuing along the path on the other side, then crossing a second stream. Climb to the right towards the cliffs and follow them along.

(4) Caution! When the path reaches a plateau and becomes fairly straight, don’t miss the narrow track that climbs the hillside to the left. Barely visible in autumn, hidden beneath the leaves, it will be lined with daffodils in spring. It can be slippery in wet weather. At the top, you’ll join a path running perpendicular to it. Turn right to reach the first houses in Montfaucon and head down to the right towards the car park (S/E).

The paths are rocky and slippery in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and the use of walking poles is recommended.
The walk around the old village requires sure-footedness and is not suitable for young children. In this case, turn back to the entrance.