The viewing points at the Monts d’Ornans and the Grand Barmaud

Car park behind the church in Chassagne-Saint-Denis or on Rue du Castel. Various yellow-blue and yellow-red markings, with mountain bike markings in places.

(S/E) Walk round the church, passing through the porch, and turn left onto Route d’Ornans, which you’ll leave almost immediately, continuing straight on along Rue du Mont until you reach the wayside cross. You’ll pass some beautiful old farmhouses. At the wayside cross, turn left, leaving the village behind and heading towards the pastures with a view of the Ornans hills. Continue along this quiet, tarmac-surfaced road, which quickly turns into a dirt track.

(1) Carry on straight ahead to the edge of the forest. To your left, there’s a lovely view of the Roche du Grand and the cliffs of the Loue. When the path turns left, beginning to run along the ledges, you’ll come to your first unsecured viewpoint: the Monts d’Ornans viewpoint overlooking the town and the Château d’Ornans.

(2) Head down the lovely rocky path which joins a wide, gravelly uphill track (signposted ‘Monts d’Ornans’), which you follow to the left (towards Roche Thiébaut). At the nearby junction, take the path on the right (route 29, yellow-red markings). You’ll pass a treetop adventure course and arrive at a radio mast and the Roche Thiébaut viewpoint (484 metres) , where you can admire the cliffs overlooking this little town in Franche-Comté. From left to right: the cliffs of the Bois de Narpent, the Roche du Grand, the castle and, towering over the town, the Roche du Mont and its Virgin. On the left, the Roche Botine and the Tangelet. On the horizon, starting from the left, the Crêt Monniot, the Mont Pelé and the beautiful Roche de Hautepierre.

(3) Return to the path and continue to the right (towards the Barmaud viewpoint). Cross the D241 road with care and continue along the gravel path opposite. You’ll pass some sharp limestone pavements. Be careful! About fifty metres before the path turns sharply to the left, look out for a marker post on the edge of the path, somewhat hidden by the vegetation, indicating that you should turn right into the woods along a footpath.

(4) Take this path to the right. You’ll soon spot the signpost and the narrow stony track branching off to the far right. You’ll come to the first barriers with a view over the valley. Continue very carefully ( the cliff edge is close by and there are crevices) along the ledge. You’ll reach the Barmaud viewpoint, the Roche du Grand, the old Tacot viaduct and the start of the Brême gorge.

(5) Continue with caution along the cliff edge (unprotected; a signwarns of danger ), especially as this beautiful cliff-top path, with lovely views over the valley, is strewn with stones that are a hazard to your ankles. After winding your way through the sharp limestone pavement for a short while, you’ll arrive above the picturesque little gorge carved into the rock: La Facle.

(6) Head down to the right for a return trip to the other entrance of La Facle via this moss-covered gorge, which, despite its small size, is impressive and offers a fine view of the rocks carved out by the river. Head back up and continue to the right (towards Château Saint-Denis) until you reach a hunting lodge and the pastures.

(7) Turn left onto the stony path alongside the pastures, leaving the signposted route behind. At the fork, where the road becomes tarmac, continue to the right, keeping the bell tower in sight. At the first house, carry on straight ahead to reach the church (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.

Don’t forget your binoculars.

Ornans: with its characteristic houses built over the water and narrow streets, do take the time to stroll around Ornans, the ‘Little Venice of the Franche-Comté’.
The Courbet Museum, with a permanent exhibition dedicated to the artist’s work.
The Museum of Franche-Comté Costume and Traditions. With nearly 200 mannequins, the museum traces the history of the traditional dress worn by the people of Franche-Comté from 1850 to 1930.

Cléron Castle
This fortified house was built in 1320 to protect the ford across the River Loue, through which carts laden with salt passed. The salt road linking Besançon to Salins-les-Bains ensured the region’s prosperity in the Middle Ages.

The Mirror of Scey
In a green meander, the River Loue becomes a mirror reflecting the old mill and the ruins of Castel Saint-Denis.

Notre-Dame du Chêne
TheNotre-Dame du Chêne chapel was built in 1803, following an apparition of the Virgin Mary. On the morning of 3 April 1803, a 13-year-old girl, Cécile Mille, encountered the Virgin Mary. No one believed her, even though the girl exclaimed, ‘It’s true, as true as the sun shines.’ On 15 August 1803, Cécile, her two sisters, her father and a friend discovered a small statue of the Virgin Mary in the ‘Notre-Dame oak’, which had been placed there a long time ago and forgotten. Following a lengthy investigation, Cardinal Mathieu, Archbishop of Besançon, officially confirmed the authenticity of the events. He ordered a chapel to be built. Cécile Mille died aged 46 on 13 July 1835. She is buried in Cléron cemetery, by the church door.

The ‘Tacot’ Museum
In the early 20th century, metre-gauge railways were built to open up our countryside. These little trains, hauled by steam locomotives, then by internal combustion engines and sometimes by electric motors, were known as ‘tacots’. My elderly mother used to tell me that, when the hill was too steep, passengers would get off to allow the little train to catch its breath and make the climb!