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Malbrans walks
The Hill of the Virgin Mary
Visorando Member 
2.91 mi
+220 ft
-197 ft
1h 30
Easy
Departure from Malbrans (Doubs)
This is a country walk whose great merit is that it is... in the countryside. However, it will take you along beautiful forest paths to the Virgin of Malbrans, offering a magnificent 360° panorama: to the south over the Loue Valley, from Roche de Hautepierre to Mont Poupet, and, lost in the greenery, Castel Saint-Denis and perhaps the summit of Mont Blanc on a clear day. After this short walk, tables await you for a picnic while you enjoy the breathtaking view.
The Chemin de Bellevue and the Belvédère de la Vierge
Visorando Member 
5.22 mi
+636 ft
-636 ft
2h 55
Easy
Departure from Malbrans (Doubs)
Descend towards the corniches of Scey-en-Varais via the aptly named Chemin de Bellevue, a pretty balcony overlooking the Loue Valley. Then climb back up to the Vierge de Malbrans, which offers a magnificent panorama of the Roche de Hautepierre and Mont Poupet and, lost in the greenery, the Castel Saint-Denis and perhaps the summit of Mont Blanc on a clear day. There are tables where you can picnic while enjoying the breathtaking view. Return through a cool and peaceful forest.
The Scey-Maisières corniches starting from Malbrans
Visorando Member 
7.09 mi
+732 ft
-748 ft
3h 55
Moderate
Departure from Malbrans (Doubs)
This is a fairly easy circular route through the communes of Malbrans and Scey-Maisières. It begins with a superb view at the Vierge de Malbrans, followed by pretty trails through forests, meadows and woods. It then continues along a beautiful path running along the limestone ledges, offering beautiful views of the villages of Ornans, Maisières, Scey-en-Varais, Cléron and the Loue valley.
The Narpent viewpoint
Visorando Member 
4.35 mi
+735 ft
-732 ft
2h 40
Easy
Departure from Malbrans (Doubs)
A wild getaway to discover the entire Loue valley from the top of the Malbrans plateau, from the Hautepierre rock to Mount Poupet, then from an equally wild viewpoint, the Scey en Varais valley and, silhouetted against the sky, the outline of the Saint-Denis castle.
The Croc Chapel
Visorando Member 
3.76 mi
+184 ft
-187 ft
1h 55
Easy
Departure from Scey-Maisières (Doubs)
A short forest walk to discover the Rocher de Colonne, a superb viewpoint over the Loue valley. The first viewpoint is over Cléron and its castle. The second overlooks Scey-en-Varais, topped by Castel Saint-Denis, the start of the upper Loue valley and its cliffs, the Valbois ravine and the luminous Hautepierre rock. You will return via the Chapelle du Croc chapel and its old house lost in the woods.
The Rocher de Colonne
Visorando Member 
3.92 mi
+272 ft
-253 ft
2h 00
Easy
Departure from Scey-Maisières (Doubs)
Dominating Cléron with its massive limestone cliffs, the Rocher de Colonne is a beautiful landscape, characteristic of the upper Loue valley. From its summit, you can see the Château de Cléron, the Castel Saint-Denis, the Ravin de Valbois valley and the start of the upper Loue valley lined with its corniches.
La Facle, Le Barmaud, La Reculée de Valbois and Castel Saint-Denis
Visorando Member 
6.62 mi
+764 ft
-751 ft
3h 45
Moderate
Departure from Scey-Maisières (Doubs)
You will discover the superb white rock cornices at the start of the upper Loue Valley, balconies overlooking the wild nature of the Valbois ravine, climbing boldly at the foot of the cliffs and crossing them via a narrow rocky pass, La Facle, which will lead you to the Barmaud viewpoint over the Brème valley and Notre-Dame du Chêne and the thousand-year-old keep of Castel Saint-Denis, still proudly perched on its rocky spur.
The Miroir de Scey and the Rocher de Colonne
Visorando Member 
3.92 mi
+712 ft
-712 ft
2h 25
Easy
Departure from Scey-Maisières (Doubs)
A 11th-century keep is reflected in the emerald waters of the Loue; a rock dominates the valley from its sunlit ledges, offering a splendid vantage point over the wild scenery of the Valbois ravine and the tranquil Loue valley; old manor houses from a bygone era at the bend of a narrow lane; a rest in the cool of a church under the gaze of colourful wooden saints.
Notre-Dame du Chêne et tour du plateau de Narpent
Visorando Member 4.03 mi
+810 ft
-804 ft
2h 35
Easy
Departure from Scey-Maisières (Doubs)
Au départ de l'Ermitage de Notre-Dame du Chêne, une petite balade facile sans prétention sur les coteaux et le plateau de Narpent. Le retour s'effectue par l'ancienne voie ferrée Ornans-Hôpital du Grosbois, aujourd'hui Voie Verte et un court crochet au passage pour aller voir le Puits de la Brème.
The Corniches de Narpent and the Hermitage of Notre-Dame-du-Chêne
Visorando Member 
8.52 mi
+1,148 ft
-1,175 ft
4h 55
Moderate
Departure from Ornans (Doubs)
Crossing the Brême via its old bridge, you will descend to its mysterious well, gateway to the underworld or the fairy kingdom, and climb back up more prosaically to the industrious tile factory. The cornices of Narpent offer another kind of magic, with their rocky crevices silhouetted against the sky and the outline of Castel Saint-Denis, ending at the sanctuary where, long ago, a little girl discovered a small statue of the Virgin Mary, placed there and forgotten, in the hollow of an oak tree.
The Belvédère du Grand and the Château
Visorando Member 
6.52 mi
+1,299 ft
-1,302 ft
4h 10
Moderate
Departure from Scey-Maisières (Doubs)
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.
The Ravin du Puits Noir and the Belvédère du Tourbillon
Visorando Member 
8.40 mi
+1,119 ft
-1,122 ft
4h 50
Moderate
Departure from Scey-Maisières (Doubs)
Following in the footsteps of Gustave Courbet, the Ravin du Puits Noir was one of the painter's favourite places. You will follow the course of the Brême, walk peacefully along the old Tacot road, climb the Roche du Tourbillon for superb views of the picturesque and steep-sided Brême valley, and finally end at the Prieuré de Bonnevaux, of which only a charming chapel and its 12th-century bell tower remain.
The Brême Well
Visorando Member 
3.98 mi
+627 ft
-650 ft
2h 20
Easy
Departure from Scey-Maisières (Doubs)
Walking along the banks of the emerald-green Brême, you will enter a dense forest until you reach the Ravin du Puits Noir, a dark, hidden, impenetrable and wild place where Gustave Courbet set up his easel more than fifty times. You will emerge at La Gouille, where goats once drank, and return peacefully via the old Tacot road and its viaduct, passing by the Puits de la Brême, the entrance to the underworld or the crystal palace of the fairies.
Castle, viewpoint and chasms at Montrond
Visorando Member 4.77 mi
+427 ft
-420 ft
2h 35
Easy
Departure from Montrond-le-Château (Doubs)
A varied hike with flat sections, a passage through woods, and two climbs up the Montrond hill. At the top, you can enjoy the vast panorama. At the bottom, you will discover two wells that have been cleared quite recently. Given the size of the cavities visible from the platforms, they can be considered chasms, with a vast underground network that you can learn about on the explanatory panels. You will take part of the Sentier du Triton trail, which will offer you a few riddles. In short, a hike for young and old alike.
Castel Saint-Denis
Visorando Member 
4.08 mi
+794 ft
-787 ft
2h 35
Easy
Departure from Cléron (Doubs)
A keep dating back to the year 1000 still stands proudly on its rocky outcrop, with superb cornice walls carved out of the rock, overlooking the wild nature of the Valbois ravine. In just four short kilometres, you will be treated to a series of breathtaking landscapes.
Montrond-le-Château and its diverse landscapes
Visorando Member 5.55 mi
+262 ft
-285 ft
2h 45
Easy
Departure from Montrond-le-Château (Doubs)
Two completely different sections:
- the climb to the castle ruins, with a superb view and an orientation table. A short but relatively steep climb.
- the very flat section, through a forest notable for its multitude of sharp limestone pavements and deep sinkholes, which will be enjoyed in all seasons.
A GPS is recommended to follow the route through the forest, but the 2022 update is more detailed.
A short stretch of road, with virtually no traffic.
The Norvaux and Valbois valleys and Castel Saint-Denis
Visorando Member 
10.76 mi
+1,168 ft
-1,168 ft
6h 00
Moderate
Departure from Cléron (Doubs)
From Cléron Castle, through a beautiful, cool forest alternating between fir and deciduous trees, ideal for a hot summer's day, you will visit the gentle monk Toum Tatre, a monolith resembling a tonsured Capuchin monk, watching piously over the Norvaux valley from the top of his cliff. Walking along the ledges of the twin valley of Valbois, you will return via Castel Saint-Denis, overlooking the valley from its rocky spur.
The Tacot Trail
Visorando Member 
3.77 mi
+413 ft
-394 ft
2h 05
Easy
Departure from Cléron (Doubs)
You will take the old Tacot railway line, a small, narrow-gauge railway that climbed up to Pontarlier, to discover the Val de Cléron and its castle, surrounded by the white cliffs at the start of the Haute Vallée de la Loue.
Toum Tatre, the Monk's Rock
Visorando Member 
6.72 mi
+705 ft
-702 ft
3h 40
Moderate
Departure from Cléron (Doubs)
From Cléron, through a beautiful, cool forest alternating between fir and deciduous trees, ideal for a hot summer's day, you will visit the gentle monk Toum Tatre, a monolith resembling a tonsured Capuchin monk, watching piously over the Norvaux valley from the top of his cliff. You will return through the Plain Mont forest to two unsecured viewpoints, one overlooking Castel Saint-Denis and the other overlooking Cléron and its castle.
La Roche du Taureau
Visorando Member 
3.91 mi
+564 ft
-531 ft
2h 15
Easy
Departure from Cléron (Doubs)
Six petits kilomètres pour quatre points de vue sur le Val de Cléron, la reculée de Norvaux et le capucin de pierre Tountâtrou où nos anciens Comtois célébraient leurs dieux au sein même de la nature, au pied de ce colosse de pierre.
The Croix des Échaulles
Visorando Member 
4.70 mi
+738 ft
-738 ft
2h 50
Easy
Departure from Épeugney (Doubs)
From Épeugney, you will climb along forest paths towards the Belvédère de Rurey at the head of the upper Loue valley with its white cliffs, and the keep of Castel Saint-Denis, the thousand-year-old sentinel of the Reculée de Valbois. You’ll descend into the Val de Cademène with its unobstructed views of the valley. And, after a stretch through somewhat wild woodland, the ‘obstacle course’ awaits you: the climb to the Croix des Échaulles. Then a peaceful return to the village and its beautiful fountains.
La Roche Thiébaut, La Facle and Les Blocs Erratiques
Visorando Member 
6.18 mi
+1,030 ft
-1,024 ft
3h 45
Easy
Departure from Ornans (Doubs)
Three viewpoints allow you to discover the Ornans mountains from the left bank of the Loue, Mont d'Ornans, Roche Thiébaut and Grand Barmaud, before returning to the valley by winding your way through La Facle, a narrow and picturesque fault that cuts into the cliff, and ending at the erratic boulders, geological curiosities, masses of stone weighing over 130 tonnes, transported by glaciers 600,000 years ago.
The Saut de Bonneille
Visorando Member 
10.45 mi
+1,273 ft
-1,260 ft
5h 55
Moderate
Departure from Ornans (Doubs)
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.
The Grand Bois karst trail
Visorando Member 
1.87 mi
+92 ft
-98 ft
0h 55
Easy
Departure from Mérey-sous-Montrond (Doubs)
A short walk through the woods will allow you to discover a limestone landscape dotted with caves, chasms, sinkholes and sharp limestone pavements. Over thousands of years, water has chemically eroded the rock to create this surprising landscape. Cool temperatures are guaranteed, even in hot weather.
The Gratteris viewpoint, from sharp limestone pavement to dolmen
Visorando Member 
6.50 mi
+584 ft
-597 ft
3h 30
Moderate
Departure from Tarcenay (Doubs)
A walk through the countryside and woodland to discover the untamed charms of our karst forests and their sinkholes and sharp limestone pavements, which some would like to believe are dolmens. Along the way, beautiful wash-house fountains, a viewpoint over the Saône plain and the Chapel of Saint-Maximin, where medieval pilgrims led a joyful life.
Around the Grand Barmaud
Visorando Member 
7.87 mi
+1,240 ft
-1,240 ft
4h 40
Moderate
Departure from Chassagne-Saint-Denis (Doubs)
There are four viewpoints on this woodland hike. The first is in the Ravin de Valbois Nature Reserve, a typical Jura wilderness area, under the protection of the proud thousand-year-old keep of Castel Saint-Denis. Then you will return, overlooking the peaceful Loue valley, discovering the heights, Notre-Dame du Chêne and the old town of Ornans.
The Valbois valley and Castel Saint-Denis
Visorando Member 
4.98 mi
+745 ft
-758 ft
2h 55
Moderate
Departure from Chassagne-Saint-Denis (Doubs)
Starting from Chassagne, this hike takes you on a journey of discovery through the Valbois valley, in the heart of a preserved natural environment. The route alternates between forest tracks, pastures and balcony paths offering magnificent panoramic views of the limestone cliffs, the Loue valley and the village of Cléron. You’ll also discover the ruins of Castel Saint-Denis, an ancient medieval castle perched on its rocky promontory. A varied and wild circular route, combining historical heritage with the typical landscapes of the Jura Comtois.
The dolmens of the Bois de l’Ange Gardien
Visorando Member 
4.11 mi
+433 ft
-449 ft
2h 15
Easy
Departure from Foucherans (Doubs)
A short walk through the Bois du Mont to discover the wild charms of our Comtois karst forests and their sharp limestone pavements, which some might mistake for dolmens. Along the way, you’ll find beautiful wash-house fountains, a viewpoint over the Saône plain, an arboretum and the Saint-Maximin Chapel, where medieval pilgrims led a joyful life.
La Gouille Noire
Visorando Member 
9.37 mi
+1,004 ft
-994 ft
5h 10
Moderate
Departure from Amondans (Doubs)
From the curious and pretty fountain in Amondans, quiet paths will take you to a viewpoint overlooking the green Loue valley and the remote Malans stream, where you can admire the wild charm of the landscape. Then, from the Bois des Serpents, winding your way between a splendid sharp limestone pavement resembling menhirs, you will follow the emerald green Loue to the deepest part of the valley, where a waterfall ends its descent into a pool: the Gouille Noire.
The Gouille Noire viewpoint
Visorando Member 
9.99 mi
+1,060 ft
-1,056 ft
5h 30
Moderate
Departure from Amondans (Doubs)
Amondans, home of our regional musician Napoléon Coste, overlooks the Malans stream, which flows into the Gouille Noire, whose wild charm you will be able to admire from above. Passing by oratories and fountains, you will return to Lizine with its ancient houses covered with lauzes, the formidable stone tiles that required our carpenters of yesteryear to build solid frames. Two other viewpoints will allow you to discover the Lison and Loue valleys with their gorges and meanders.