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Parking on the D135 towards Lizine, after the confluence of the Loue and Lison rivers, 100 metres on the right after the bridge over the Lison, opposite a signpost. Yellow-red and yellow-blue markings.
(S/E) From the car park, take the marked gravel path that climbs south-east, ignoring the path that descends towards the river.
(1) At the next signpost, descend towards the Lison on the right via the beautiful gravel path (towards Source du Lison). You will pass the ruins of Moulin Sapin (2) and a small path will take you to a small beach by the river.
(3) You will arrive at a meadow and, at two signposts, one on the right and one on the left, leave the stone path and climb the Lizine hillside via the forest path on the left. You will walk along a pile of stone gathered from fields, pass another signpost (towards Source du Lison) and finally arrive at Lizine.
(4) Head towards the town hall and turn right onto Rue de Simolière, which runs alongside the church. Push open the gate to the cemetery enclosure to take a look at the war memorial and the bell tower. The church door is open, allowing you to see inside from the porch behind a grille. Turn your back on the church and set off again (yellow-red markings). You will soon come to a fork in the road. Take the right-hand path and take the time to enjoy the view of the Château de Châtillon-sur-Lison. Stay on this stony path.
(5) 600 metres from the village, when this stony path begins to descend, leave it and climb up to the left into the pasture. There is a beautiful view of the Lison plateau, the Cusey-sur-Lison valley and the château. Continue to the end of this new stony road, despite a cross inviting you not to do so, passing a barrier. At the water tower, climb the path-stairs on the right that lead to the foot of the cross. You will reach it by taking a path on the right. Beautiful, unsecured view of the village of Lizine. Retrace your steps, descending carefully.
(6) About fifty steps after the barrier, turn left onto the path that climbs the wooded hillside. At the first farm track you come to, turn left, following the markings, and at the second, a hundred metres further down, turn right this time.
(7) You will come to a crossroads with stone paths. Turn left onto the stone path despite the crosses that will try to dissuade you. At a signpost, you will come to the D103, which you will follow down to Lizine, heading towards Cléron-Ornans. You will pass a country shrine.
(8) At the entrance to the village, turn right onto the first street (Rue de la Tendue), then after about 100 metres, turn right again onto a grassy path. After 50 metres, turn left between the wooden barriers to discover the Fontaine de Villevoz fountain and its stepped basins, built in 1663.
Return to Lizine via Rue de la Tendue. Turn right onto Grande Rue and, at the corner with Rue de l'Église, you will find a wash house dating from 1884 and an oratory dedicated to the God of Mercy, built in 1668 in gratitude by the villagers for having escaped cholera. The niche contains two statuettes, a saint carrying a head (not easy to carry around under your arm) and a kneeling saint. In the centre is a Christ awaiting his punishment rather peacefully, judging by his smile. My route takes you to the church, but don't hesitate to explore this charming village. On the way up to the church on the left, you will see an old lean-to with a slate roof. You will pass the old presbytery with its terracotta tile cladding and a magnificent calvary erected around 1500 within the parish enclosure.
(4) When you reach the town hall, turn your back on it and walk down Rue du Moulin, ignoring the grassy hiking trail, theGR®590, which we took on the way up, and continue on the D135 despite the yellow-red and yellow-blue crosses that invite you to turn back. On the left, you will see the castle and hill of Châtillon-sur-Lison.
(9) You will enter the woods along the departmental road for 100 metres and on the left, after a wooden bench, you will see the Moulin Sapin viewpoint with a lovely view of the Lizine bell tower and the Lison valley.
Return to the road and cross it to reach a small path about fifty steps away, which joins a wider path at a right angle. Take this path to the left. Follow the signs for Belvédère. You will soon come to a fork; take the right-hand path towards the Piquette viewpoint.
(10) The path approaches the cliffs, which are blocked by a rustic barrier. Climb up to the right for about a hundred metres to reach the viewpoint over the Loue valley. It took more than five million years to create this magnificent landscape of meanders and gorges.
Retrace your steps to the previous fork at the fir tree trunk barriers and, despite the yellow-blue cross blocking the way, descend the path that runs along the cliffs. You will reach the D135 at a bend, descend a few metres and immediately turn right onto a small descending path. Cross the road again to reach another path on the opposite side, and do the same again at the next bend. Cross the D135 once more and follow a beautiful, signposted stone path for about 30 metres, which descends towards the Lison. At a signpost, which had a sign at the foot of it when I passed by, take the forest path on the right overlooking the Lison (towards Ornans) to return to the car park.
You can cool off in the river by going down to the left to the banks of the Lison. (S/E).
The route includes cliff-edge paths and unsecured viewpoints. The paths are rocky and slippery in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended.
Visorando member
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