Montlebon walks

Passing through beautiful pine forests, you will walk along a small gorge, home to waterfalls where the rotation of pebbles has carved the soft rock over thousands of years, forming basins known as chaudières in our Haut-Doubs region. Then, passing isolated farms nestled in the hollows of the pastures and surrounded by our good old Montbéliard cows, you will reach a panorama stretching south-west over the Chasseron, the Suchet, the Gras topped by the Rochers du Cerf, Switzerland to the south and, in fine weather, Mont Blanc.

The Saut du Doubs is a major tourist attraction in the region. This hike will allow you to discover it and also enjoy the surrounding landscapes, continuing on to the Chatelot dam.

This walk is a marvellous way to explore the beautiful Saut du Doubs.

From the picturesque village of Bizot, with its farms, courthouse and 16th-century church, the route takes you up a superb steep ridge path to the ruins of Réaumont Castle. You return via the peat bogs, skirting piles of stones gathered from fields and the Étang des Belles Seignes lake.

A superb hike around Lake Moron, culminating in the Saut du Doubs and its 27-metre waterfall.

This magnificent route passes through peaceful forests, along long ridges and steep cliffs. Every day offers panoramic views of the peaks of the Alps, the lakes of Neuchâtel, Geneva and Joux, and curiosities such as the great Cirque du Creux du Van.

During this first stage, after the tedious climb up the 14 contours, you will be rewarded by the local geological curiosity, the Creux du Van. This Swiss version of the "Grand Canyon" is a large rocky cirque 1.5 km long and 200 m high. At Soliat, you will enjoy a splendid panorama of Lake Neuchâtel.

A walk around the Cirque de Consolation with a thrilling variety of views and valleys. Beautiful panoramic views and bodies of water on way.

Le Creux du Van is one of the most famous geological formations in the Jura. This immense cirque with its impressive vertical cliffs offers steep landscapes that contrast with the gentle neighbouring pastures. This is the hike to do to discover the Val de Travers. It is very easy to see ibex here, as they are used to walkers.

Rousseau once wrote «I have, opposite my windows, a beautiful waterfall which from the mountain top, plunges from a rocky escarpment into the valley, with a sound heard for miles around, especially when waters are high». From waterfall to waterfall, alongside these impressively steep gorges which once inspired fear (poëta from the latin putidus meaning "altered, fetid"), this trail will lead you through a delightful hike through rocks and water.

A wild, 350-metre-deep valley, the Cirque de Consolation, framed by magnificent cliffs, is a paradise for hikers and nature lovers. You can discover it from two viewpoints, Chauve Roche at the bottom of the valley and Sainte-Catherine downstream and the old seminary. After a visit to the old priory of Laval, you will climb back up to the plateau, along the aptly named Pissoux, through a superb wild and mossy valley.

From the foot of a medieval calvary, head towards the Belvédère des Genevois in the small, remote valley of Martinvaux, passing through beautiful pine forests with slender trees. Then descend to the Source de la Reverotte and follow it to the Puits de la Doye and the Grotte de la Baume.

La Roche Barchey, "the pierced rock" in Celtic, where witches of yesteryear celebrated their demonic cult, offers a vast panorama of the Val de Vennes and the Haut-Doubs from its height of 988 metres. You will then descend through the beautiful fir forests of La Joux towards the more Catholic Sainte-Radegonde, who, it is said, fought an evil ghoul, perhaps descended from the rock, on the night of a sabbath, on the site where her chapel was built.

Set off to explore the Barchet Pond and its peat bog. This vast wetland is a remarkable reservoir of biodiversity. Its soil, permanently saturated with stagnant water, deprives the microorganisms responsible for decomposing organic matter of the oxygen they need for their metabolism. The plant litter mineralises slowly and partially. It then accumulates gradually, forming a poorly decomposed or undecomposed deposit: peat.

Hike from Chambrelien, passing through Champ du Moulin and following the Gorges de l'Areuse trail, with several views of Lake Neuchâtel. You will follow the blue trail, where you may spot chamois, then the gorge trail to admire the waterfalls.

From the top of the Roche du Miroir, at the viewing point, you can admire the Dessoubre valley, which is overlooked in places by high cliffs, home to chamois and peregrine falcons then, along a charming path winding and weaving between superbly carved rocks, you will cross sunny meadows to reach the Montbéliardot arboretum and its sculptures. Return via La Vie au Loup, skirting the edge of the cliffs with a panoramic view of the entire plateau.

The goal for this second stage is to climb Chasseron. This rocky cliff offers breathtaking views of Lake Neuchâtel and, further south, Lake Geneva. You will also enjoy views of numerous Alpine peaks in the distance, rising up from the horizon.

From Bonnétage church, you will quickly climb up to the viewpoint on the plateau and, in the distance, the snow-capped peaks of the Bernese Alps. You will cross pastures lined with murgers, charming dry stone walls, and fir forests typical of the Haut-Doubs, walk along deep sinkholes, descend into the hollow of the peat bog and finally, from a rocky ridge, overlook the vast Etang du Moulin lake.

Short loop through the fields (no gates to open) on horseback, with the option of staying at the Brin d'Herbe equestrian lodge. Please note: this route is only possible when the hay has just been cut and the grass in the meadows is short.

Starting from the Brin d'Herbe equestrian lodge, enjoy an unusual hike along forest paths, past cows and alpine landscapes. There is a magnificent view from the Ferme des Miroirs road, from where you can even see the Alps if the weather is not too cloudy! Enjoy a refreshing break or a good meal at the Les Papillons restaurant before returning through fields and forests. NB: as this hike crosses several cow pastures, please be sure to dismount, open and, above all, close any gates you come across.

The highest point of the Montagne du Larmont, the Grand Taureau, at an altitude of 1,323 metres, offers a panoramic view of Pontarlier, the Loue Valley, the Jura mountains (the Aiguilles de Baulmes, the Knoll, the Mont d'Or), the Alps and Mont Blanc in good weather. This well-balanced route allows you to enjoy the coolness of beautiful pine forests and the sunshine of these alpine pastures dotted with gentians, accompanied by the music of our cowbells.

Beautiful views, a lovely setting and an unusual part of the hike, crossing the death ladders.

There are no danger points on these ladders. This site, steeped in history, bears witness to the fear once inspired by these legendary places, the scene of many fatal accidents during the "bricotte" (smuggling) era, when the ladders were nothing more than tree trunks crossed by pieces of wood. Today, these comfortable family staircases, which you can climb safely, will allow you to discover the Doubs Gorges from a variety of viewpoints.