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Parking is available in Lods, on the other side of the bridge, towards Longeville.
White-red and yellow-blue signposts.
(S/E) Cross the bridge and turn left. At the small fountain, turn right onto Rue de Reine. Turn left onto Rue Sur la Place. Pass the Musée de la Vigne. At the pretty fountain, climb up Rue de Jaubourg on the right. At the next crossroads, turn left onto Rue de la Vierge. Cross the Route d'Athose to reach the Virgin Mary statue. Return to the previous crossroads.
(1) Go up the D32 on the left, leaving the hiking trail that climbs up to Suchaux on your left. On leaving the village, after a wooden cross, turn right onto the D244E towards Belvédère de Sucrue. 400 m after the hamlet of La Rappe, look for a sign on a telephone pole saying Hautepierre, which invites you to leave the departmental road and turn left onto a path.
(2) After the copse, take a barely visible grassy path on the right that runs alongside the copses on the right and climbs up a small alpine-style pasture. Join a signpost and continue climbing, keeping close to the copses on the right to find a more clearly marked path.
(3) If you miss it, as I did, don't panic. 200 m from the end of the pasture, look for a sort of funnel in the hedge of trees on the right and pass between two dead trees to reach it. Then turn left. You will come to a crossroads of hiking trails. Keep slightly to the right, keeping the rocks in sight (towards Circuit N°2 - Roches de Hautepierre). Cross the D244 and continue along the beautiful stony path climbing under the rocks. You will rejoin the D244 and the first houses of Hautepierre - Le Châtelet.
(4) At the Nods - Besançon sign, turn left onto Chemin du Belvédère. At the cemetery, climb up the path closest to the wall.
(5) You will arrive at a magnificent viewpoint over the Gorges de la Loue and far beyond. Pass the cross and continue to the orientation table for a breathtaking view towards Besançon. Return to the village. Back on the D244, turn left and continue for about 100 metres. At the town hall, turn right down towards the church, which you can visit. Pass the war memorial and turn left. At the end of the village, head towards Aubonne - Pontarlier.
(6) Quickly at the wooden cross, turn right onto a grassy path (Circuit No. 2, towards Mouthier). Cross a clearing, then descend through a pretty, airy woodland, following the yellow and blue markings.
(7) At the signpost, turn left and walk about 100 metres in the direction of Circuit No. 5 for a magnificent view of La Baume and the wild Nouailles Gorges. Return to the signpost and descend again in the direction of Circuit No. 2 to Mouthier. Be careful! The path is very steep and extremely slippery.
(8) At another signpost with three signs, continue in the same direction (Mouthier) along a pretty path nestled between two piles of stones gathered from fields and you will arrive at the first houses of Mouthier. Go down to the left towards the village, joining the main road, which you follow to the right for 300 m. Then go up to the right again along Rue du Chapitre, turning quickly left into Rue du Four to join the main street, which you follow uphill to see the beautiful statues on the corner with Rue Saint-Antoine, at No. 24 (15th-century statue; feel free to go in, the owner is welcoming, and there is a statue of the Virgin Mary at No. 30).
(9) Visit the church and priory via the cobbled street.
(10) Return to the Grande Rue and follow Rue Robert Dame, which continues along with its fountain and zigzag house, towards Hautepierre. At the calvary, take Rue de Hautepierre on the left and continue straight ahead.
(11) Before the water tower, at the bench, take the path downhill to the left along a fence via the Boucle de Sainte-Foy to discover a pretty passage under the rocks. Join the road after the water tower and turn left.
(12) At a wayside cross, take the stony path on the left which takes you back to Lods, passing behind the fortified house and in front of the church of Saint-Théodule, which is worth a visit. Go down Rue de l'Église, cross Rue du Commandant Vuillemin again and go down Rue de Reine.
(13) About 50 metres from the cross, take the small staircase on the right to reach the fountain-wash house, then the departmental road, which you follow carefully up to the bridge and the car park (S/E).
The route includes unsecured ledges. The return to Mouthier is via a very steep and extremely slippery path. Good walking shoes and walking sticks are recommended.
Visorando member
Difficult 
Association / Club / Walk leader
