The Ornans corniches from the Château to Notre-Dame du Mont

Starting from Ornans Castle overlooking the old town, after a detour to the Fontaine des Vipères, a meeting place for gossips in Courbet's time, you will walk along the superb line of cornices indented with small recesses and dotted with numerous viewpoints overlooking the upper and lower Loue valley. A round trip that will not exhaust all the attractions of this walk.

Details

1803672
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.81 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 99 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 98 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 477 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 423 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the Château d'Ornans, near the fountain. Yellow, blue and red markings.

(S/E) Pass between the two no-entry signs and turn right towards the viewpoint. You will arrive at the ruins of the old castle, which was dismantled on the orders of Louis XIV during the second conquest of Franche-Comté in 1674. Continue towards the Chapelle Saint-Georges, built by Othon, Count of Burgundy, in 1289 and rebuilt in 1500. The current chapel is in the flamboyant Gothic style and is still used as a place of worship. Continue along a small lane to the left of the chapel to complete the circular route around the hamlet, passing in front of an old cul-de-four oven.
Pass between the two no-entry posts.

(S/E) Turn immediately left into a dead-end road leading to private property. Go down the path on the right and, after a small stone staircase, you will reach the road leading back down to Ornans.

(1) Cross it and go down the steps onto the path on the other side. Walk a few metres uphill towards an old post and go down to the left. A little further down, at the new fork, go straight on towards the Fontaine aux Vipères (Viper Fountain), so named by Courbet to mock the sharp-tongued washerwomen. Set off again along the path that passes above the bins. You will come back to the road and climb up to the calvary at the beginning of the hamlet.

(2) Turn left (towards Roche des Pins). At the last house, go down the beautiful stone path on the right that runs along the cornices. 200 metres further on, you can carefully leave the marked path and take the small path on the right that runs closer to the cornices (despite the yellow and blue cross) to discover some crevices. You will rejoin the marked path a little further on. At the top of a small valley, you will come to a fork in the hiking trails. Continue straight ahead in the same direction (Roche des Pins).

(3) At the Mambouc stream, ignore the path that descends to the right towards Ornans, crossing the stream on three wooden planks. Shortly after the remains of a wooden barrier and a mountain bike signpost 26, continue straight ahead at the fork, following the ledges and ignoring the path ascending to the left.

(4) You will soon arrive at the Pautard viewpoint (unsecured) overlooking the town, the castle and the Roche du Mont. Continue along the ledges, passing once again by viewpoints overlooking the old town of Ornans.

(5) At a pine grove, you will arrive at a belvedere. Be careful not to miss it, as it is not signposted. All you can see (with difficulty) from the path is a bench and the barrier between the foliage. Look to your right, where the path approaches the corniches that will lead you there. Shortly after the viewpoint, at a series of signs that are difficult to see when walking in the opposite direction, you will arrive at the end of another small valley. Continue along the ledges.

(6) When you reach the Roche du Mont meadow, you can carefully take the small path on the right (more pleasant) which runs along the edge of the cliff to the statue of the Virgin Mary, a viewpoint overlooking the old town of Ornans and the upper and lower Loue valley, with a view, if the sky is not too foggy, of the Roche de Hautepierre.

(7) Continue for about two hundred metres along the ledges to a final viewpoint overlooking the upper Loue valley and a bench a few metres further on for a break or a snack before returning by the same route to the Château (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 463 m - The Château d'Ornans
  2. 1 : km 0.58 - alt. 441 m - Road crossing
  3. 2 : km 0.97 - alt. 463 m - Calvaire
  4. 3 : km 2.19 - alt. 452 m - Mambouc stream
  5. 4 : km 2.68 - alt. 451 m - Pautard viewpoint
  6. 5 : km 3.3 - alt. 453 m - Belvédère de la Roche des Pins
  7. 6 : km 3.92 - alt. 462 m - La Roche du Mont
  8. 7 : km 4.22 - alt. 461 m - Notre-Dame du Mont
  9. S/E : km 7.81 - alt. 463 m - The Château d'Ornans

Notes

The route includes cliff paths and unsecured viewpoints.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 12 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.9 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
carinec21
carinec21

It was impossible to go hiking. A stray dog was blocking the path at point 2, making it impossible to move forward (I had two dogs with me on a dog hike). If we tried to approach, it ran at us, and if we backed away, it sat right in the middle of the path. I waited 15-20 minutes to try to find someone, an owner, to hold him while we passed, but I never saw anyone... After an hour and 20 minutes of driving, we had to resign ourselves to finding a hike elsewhere. It was a real shame because I had done this hike in the past and found it very beautiful.

Machine-translated

Benlouclem
Benlouclem

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

We did this hike on a Sunday when the weather was nice. It was a pleasant, shaded and easy trail. The only downside was that the descent to the viper fountain wasn't very interesting. There were some beautiful views of Ornans and its castle.

Machine-translated

User 3443108

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike in the hills above Ornans, done on a hot morning. The heat was very bearable because the route is mostly in the forest. There are some beautiful views of Ornans, its castle and valley. The route is well described and the GPX track is accurate, although you can do without it once you reach the signposts for Notre Dame du Mont.

Machine-translated

Cissé
Cissé

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful route suitable for all ages. The PDF file is very comprehensive. Just follow the instructions...

Machine-translated

Francis M
Francis M

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy hike, tracked with the smartphone app on a beautiful sunny afternoon. The numerous viewpoints over Ornans and the valley are well worth the trip. What a beautiful region...
Thanks to its author

Machine-translated

Rhéa25
Rhéa25

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely little walk in the hills above Ornans.
No difficulty, and superb views of Ornans, its castle and the Loue valley.
It's always a pleasure to visit this absolutely splendid valley!

Machine-translated

gigolette
gigolette

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We had a wonderful time, a beautiful route. We ended our afternoon in the streets of Ornans, a town that is well worth a visit.

Machine-translated

Thierry CLERGET
Thierry CLERGET

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

On an easy and very pleasant path

Machine-translated

0019024941701
0019024941701

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

a very beautiful walk in the magnificent setting of the Loue Valley, and Ornans in particular
i recommend finishing off with a moment of pure bliss at the Canoë Café on the banks of the Loue

Machine-translated

reitop
reitop

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello, superb via ferrata round trip. We stayed at the summit! Thank you!

Machine-translated

elcalafate2
elcalafate2

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful walk in the cool forest. Very accessible, completed with a 7-year-old child in 2 hours and 10 minutes.
We discovered the very pretty hamlet of the château. I recommend it!

Machine-translated

RENE GABIN
RENE GABIN

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

a very beautiful hike, mostly in the shade, easy, no incline.
superb views of Ornans and the Loue Valley. Towards La Vierge, you can see the via ferrata running along the cliff face.
lovely walk through the hamlet of the château.

Machine-translated

Nigelle21
Nigelle21

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 19, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely walk in clear weather and on dry ground.
To avoid the return trip, we set off on foot from Place Courbet and descended beyond the Virgin and the rock climbing sites via the stairway that leads back to Place Courbet and the tourist office. Allow an extra 30 to 45 minutes.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.