Loue (rivière) walks

"To the south, there was no need for walls of wood or stone: the seigneurial tower spread its mismatched wings at the top of a steep cliff at the foot of which flows the Loue. The tranquil river continues to lap at the rocky escarpment, drawing the same green loops on the earth as it has done since time immemorial," writes Carole Martinez in her book Du domaine des murmures. Come and listen to the murmur of the Loue in the shadow of the ancient castle.

This circuit will allow you to discover the setting of our small Franche-Comté town from three viewpoints: the Belvédère de Notre Dame du Mont, the Château d'Ornans and the Château du Grand, offering sweeping views of the Loue valley. This is a major site on the Courbet Trail, thanks to the famous 1855 painting Le Château d'Ornans, an oil on canvas kept at the Minneapolis Museum. You will discover the Fontaine aux Vipères (Viper Fountain), which still echoes with the gossip of our cancouaines (local women).

From the remains of the Old Bridge of Port-Lesney, you will climb up beautiful forest paths winding through box trees to the viewpoint overlooking the village topped by Mont Poupet. From this cool, mossy forest, you will emerge into the sunny vineyards, greeting the Saline d'Arc-et-Senans from afar, before returning, devoutly, to the Hermitage of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette perched on the cliff above the valley.

Starting from one of the most beautiful villages in France, after a challenging climb, you will be rewarded by the cornices of the Rochers du Capucin, which offer what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful views of the upper Loue valley with the Hautepierre rock. These will guide you along wooded and steep paths to the Moine de la Vallée and the sumptuous and wild gorges of Nouailles. The return journey, under the watchful gaze of the monk, takes you through blossoming orchards.

You will descend towards this regional tourist hotspot, one of the Doubs' major natural sites: the Source de la Loue. You will overlook the sumptuous and wild Gorges de Nouailles from the side of the cliff, then climb up a steep path to the Aiguillon de Brasse viewpoint. Finally, you will return to Ouhans through peaceful meadows and bright pine forests, stopping for a few moments at the Notre-Dame des Anges chapel to thank the heavens for being a resident of Franche-Comté

A ruined feudal castle dating from the 9th century overlooking the village and the Loue valley, the ruins of Charencey Castle are listed as a Historic Monument. From the church, located on the banks of the Loue, you will climb up to these secret ruins, continuing through a beautiful forest, perhaps imagining that you will come across a team of oxen pulling a cart up to the castle. Finally, you will return through the sunny pastures overlooking the valley.

A pleasant and refreshing short walk leading to the source of the Loue, with several viewpoints along the way.

Formerly known as Roche du Soleil ( Sun Rock), because it is here that the sun, rising above the horizon, casts its first rays and bids its last farewell as it sets, it is through the pale or red hue with which it colours the rock that it predicts to the inhabitants whether the next day will bring serenity or tears from the sky. Discover two characterful towns in the Comté region and this royal viewpoint over the Loue valley, the Jura mountains and Mont Blanc.

From the church of Saint-Gengoult, patron saint of cuckolds, our ever-faithful Comtois Lady Nature will lead you along the beautifully named Chemin des Prés to the waterfall at the end of the Vau valley and its petrifying streams. On the way back, along the pleasant forest path overlooking the cornices, you can stop at the Thuyère viewpoint in Montgesoye and admire the Loue valley, from the Vuillafans mountains to Ornans.

At the end of a wild valley, you will discover the Saut de Bonneille, located less than a kilometre from Courbet's father's farm in Flagey. This exceptional site caught the painter's eye in 1875. The tufa, a deposit of limestone, forms a conical mass surrounded by a plume of foam during periods of high water. Return via the Chassagne plateau and the Monts d'Ornans viewpoint.

You will walk peacefully along the river towards Chenecey, with its old church and picturesque 18th-century turreted house, then climb up to the hidden ruins of the 9th-century feudal castle of Charencey, which dominates the village and the Loue valley. Finally, you will end your walk at the Grand Méandre viewpoint overlooking the valley and the castle keep, where you may even spot some chamois.

At the confluence of the Loue and Lison rivers, this walk offers a series of views from the Lizine plateau.

The Loue Spring (tributary of the Doubs) is a resurgence of the Doubs. After journeying underground, it comes out into the open air at the bottom of a 'reculée' (steephead valley), at the foot of the rock face. It has cut deep into the limestone of the Jura massif, creating an enclosed valley, which I invite you to gaze at and contemplate from the many lookout points. You will also go down to the bottom of the gorge to discover this impressive resurgence.

Another circular walk around Lizine taking you to beautiful viewpoints and past the limestone pavement.

From a beautiful pine forest, sheltered by beautiful rocks and crossing large boulders detached from the cliffs, you will arrive at the Belvédère de la Roche du Grand viewpoint at the head of the valley, overlooking Ornans and the Val de Scey. Continuing towards the Fontaine aux Vipères, where Courbet's cancan dancers once performed, then to the castle overlooking the town, you will return through meadows overlooking the upper Loue valley, finally descending into the Brême valley through a beautiful, light-filled rocky forest.

They will guide you through times gone by that are nevertheless at the origin of the unique landscape of Chenecey and Buillon. The activities of yesteryear explain today's landscapes: a strong identity and a rich and diverse memory that has been built up over time and passed down from generation to generation.Through a digital app, just like those who came before you, you are invited by the monks of the former Cistercian abbey and the famous painter James Tissot to leave the hustle and bustle of the village behind and enter places that invite you to relax and contemplate. Ten stations will allow you to discover places that are inaccessible to the public, as they were in their heyday. Human relationships, self-awareness, art and connections with nature have evolved over time and in line with the challenges of each era. Through this retrospective journey, this walk invites you to reflect on the future of these places.

From the site of the former castle of Ornans, which overlooks the old town, the route climbs towards the pastures offering beautiful views of the upper Loue valley and Mont Poupet. The return journey takes you along cool, pleasant forest paths to La Roche du Grand, a viewpoint overlooking the lower Loue valley, then to the Fontaine aux Vipères, where you can still hear the gossip of our Franche-Comté "cancouaines" (local women).

The Échappée Jurassienne is an invitation to discover, step by step, the striking diversity of the Jura Mountains. This 15-day itinerary links the west to the east, from the plains to the mountains, crossing the unspoilt landscapes of the Haut-Jura Regional Nature Park, far from the borders and close to the essentials. From the peaceful canals of Dole, the trail winds its way through the most iconic sites of the Jura: the Cirque de Baume, lakes, remote valleys, viewpoints and deep forests, before ending majestically in Saint-Claude, a town nestled in the heart of the mountains. Over the course of these 311 km, this itinerary becomes much more than a hike: it is a true distillation of the most exceptional things the Jura has to offer. The richness of the landscapes, the contrasts in altitude and the authenticity of the villages you encounter allow everyone to surpass themselves, immerse themselves fully in the wild beauty and reconnect with the essentials.

Third stage of the Échappée Jurassienne. From the Royal Saltworks in Arc-et-Senans to the Grande Saline in Salins-les-Bains, you will discover a unique sporting and cultural trail between the Doubs and Jura mountains, following in the footsteps of the great salt trade, with a stop in the village of Port-Lesney.