Walls and Whispers: discovering the heritage of Chenecey and Buillon

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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.

Details

n°74800289
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.19 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 124 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 126 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 405 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 281 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Photos

Welcome sign Walls & Whispers
Signposting Murs & Murmures
The caborde (stone hut) in Canton sur Roche
Landscapes of piles of stone gathered from fields

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the Murs & Murmures car park, take the RD440, then Rue Combe Marin. Follow the brown signs with the whispering characters on street furniture or signposts. Keep right until the end of Rue Combe Marin.

(1) Turn right: follow the signs, take the small wooden path on the left, then keep right. You will come to a fork.

(2) Continue straight ahead along Chemin du Mur aux Moines until you reach the signpost for the viewpoint.

(3) Turn right towards the viewpoint.

(4) Turn around and go back to the crossroads.

(3) Continue on the main path to the right until you reach the Murger Station, where you will find a picnic table and a signpost.

(5) On the left, you will find the area dedicated to Land Art created by local residents: take the "bois détourné" path marked by a gate made of two oak trees. On the right, a traditional path lined with piles of stones gathered from fields will lead you to the caborde (round trip).

(6) Return to the crossroads.

(5) Continue right until you reach the paved path of the Ferme du Haut.

(7) Turn right and continue south, following the signs. Follow the road until the landscape opens up onto the Ferme du Haut de Buillon and the Lison plateaus.

(8) Leave the paved road and take the white road straight ahead on the right. At the fork, descend gradually to the Ferme du Bas de Buillon , enjoying a beautiful view of the Lison valley plateaus. Continue to a crossroads.

(9) Turn right (Chemin de Buillon, partly paved). The grounds of the former abbey are private, closed to the public and not visible. Continue straight ahead on Chemin des Forges until you reach Les Forges.

(10) Keep going until you reach the next fork.

(11) Continue climbing to the right on Rue des Charrières (you will rejoin the "La Vouivre à la trace" route). After passing the hedge, a marker will guide you. You will arrive on the RD440.

(12) Follow it on the right and return to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 328 m - Parking Murs & Murmures
  2. 1 : km 0.68 - alt. 382 m - End of Rue Combe Marin
  3. 2 : km 1.15 - alt. 382 m - Fourche, Chemin du Mur aux Moines
  4. 3 : km 1.41 - alt. 381 m - Marker post at the viewpoint
  5. 4 : km 1.5 - alt. 367 m - Roche viewpoint
  6. 5 : km 1.81 - alt. 390 m - Le Murger and four signposted routes
  7. 6 : km 2.12 - alt. 381 m - The caborde of Canton sur Roche
  8. 7 : km 2.64 - alt. 396 m - Chemin de la Ferme du Haut marker
  9. 8 : km 3.98 - alt. 388 m - View
  10. 9 : km 5.22 - alt. 308 m - X-shaped crossroads
  11. 10 : km 8.54 - alt. 287 m - Les Forges (private property) - Loue (rivière)
  12. 11 : km 8.78 - alt. 302 m - Fourche with Rue des Charrières
  13. 12 : km 9.08 - alt. 323 m - RD440
  14. S/E : km 9.19 - alt. 328 m - Parking Murs & Murmures

Notes

An easy discovery trail accessible to as many people as possible.

Scan the QR code at the starting point and find the route map in the digital application (activate your location).

The general "long circuit" route is a long but easy 9 km circular loop starting on the plateau and ending in the valley. A "short circuit" variant, confined to the Granges du Sapin plateau, allows you to discover the most intimate part of this landscape, partly via a small detour embellished with Land Art works.

  • The 4 km short circuit: 100 m climb, 1½ hours, easy, artistic and fun. 30% tarmac, 70% trail.
  • The 9 km long route: 230 m climb, 3 hours, for experienced walkers (suitable for hybrid/mountain bikes). 55% tarmac, 25% dirt track, 20% trail.

The trail is closed to the public from1 November to 31 January on the Granges plateau. The Chemin de Buillon (down in the valley) remains open all year round for round trips.

More experienced walkers can continue exploring Chenecey by joining the La Vouivre à la Trace circular at the end of the route.

DIGITAL APPLICATION
The digital application requires a smartphone or connected tablet. You can connect by scanning QR codes on site. Languages: FR and EN. Geolocated map.

ROAD ACCESS AND PARKING

From Besançon Quingey: RN83, RD110 then RD440 towards Les Granges and Epeugney

From Ornans: RD 440 towards Chenecey

PARKING

Murs & Murmures car park signposted on the edge of the RD440, Chenecey-Buillon

ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS

Loue-Lison Natura 2000 site

INSTRUCTIONS

Dogs must be kept on a leash

No bins along the route, please take any rubbish with you

Respect the peace and quiet and keep the area tidy

Stay on the paths

Do not climb on walls

Respect private property restrictions

REPORT A PROBLEM OR ERROR

mairie@cheneceybuillon.fr

INFORMATION

Chenecey-Buillon Town Hall, 03 81 60 30 90, mairie@cheneceybuillon.fr,

Loue-Lison Tourist Office, +33 (0)3 81 62 21 50

Haut-Doubs CPIE, +33 (0)3 81 49 82 99

Discovery trail created by the Municipality of Chenecey-Buillon and the Haut-Doubs CPIE with the support of France Relance Avenir Montagnes

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 6 reviews
Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
3.5 / 5
Commune de Chenecey-Buillon
Commune de Chenecey-Buillon

In response to harsh comments from users disappointed by the excessively long stretch of tarmac, the municipality points out that this is a discovery trail accessible to as many people as possible. As the Buillon area consists entirely of private property, the municipal roads used are the only paths that can be opened to the public. This is how the area is constituted. The route is therefore 55% tarmac, 25% dirt track and 20% earth path. This makes it accessible to as many people as possible and allows the focus to be on the explanatory content of a unique landscape.
The view from the belvedere has been cleared to a minimum and will be improved in the near future.
Enjoy your discovery and your walk, everyone!
The Deputy Mayor, for the municipality of Chenecey-Buillon.

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BB25
BB25

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very well-marked trail with numerous interactive information points.
Congratulations to the Chenecey-Buillon Town Hall for this remarkable achievement.

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PAYER François
PAYER François

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

No view from the lookout point ( ...vegetation)
first part of the route: good.
From point 7 onwards, the route is much less pleasant (road surface and monotonous route).

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piccolopripri
piccolopripri

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Thanks for the suggestion. No view from the lookout point; the trees completely block the view at this time of year.
On the plus side, it allows you to explore this area, as there are no trails marked on the map.
Negative point for some: there is a lot of tarmac along the Loue. It's a shame you can't leave the road. I'm going to explore a way back up via the farm at the top.

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augustine
augustine

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful route with all these information boards with QR codes.

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Paps
Paps

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

This is an easy route, both in terms of the itinerary and the terrain. To increase the distance by 2 km, we started from the Chenecey bridge.

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superdadou
superdadou

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

An almost perfect hike until point 7. Then it all goes downhill, unless you enjoy walking on tarmac, which I don't.
It's a shame, because the first part is very promising, with the exception of the "Belvédère", which needs to be cleared... But as this hike is very new, perhaps improvements will be made in the future.

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Other walks in the area

Walking Le Grand Méandre and Les Forges de Chenecey

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"The seigneurial tower spreads 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, striving to draw the same circular patterns on the earth as it always has," writes Carole Martinez. A walk rich in discoveries: old-fashioned farms, a fountain entwined with mossy walls, an old forge and, the highlight, the Grand Méandre de la Loue and its thousand-year-old sentinel, the keep of Charencey.

Walking Around the old castle of Chenecey-Buillon

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From Chenecey church, you will climb up to the solitary ruins of Charencey Castle overlooking the Grand Méandre de la Loue. From valleys to hills, you will continue through a vast, bright forest and meadows lost deep in the woods, reaching the riverbank to return to the village.

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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.

Walking La Vouivre à la Trace, the natural environments around Chenecey

Local authority
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↔5.08 km ↗+130 m ↘-130 m ◔1h 50 ▲Easy
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A family hike around Chenecey, punctuated with information panels about the natural environment and clues left behind by the Vouivre. In the exceptional landscape of the Loue Valley, set off on an exploration to discover a diverse and preserved natural heritage. It can all be explained by a karst landscape shaped over time, so ancient that it is home to a strange mythological creature. For younger visitors, the trail comes with an explorer's notebook full of puzzles. This booklet is available for free in the booklet box at the start of the trail by the church and from local shops (the Loue bakery, Chez Gervais restaurant, the post office and the town hall). You will need a pencil.

Walking The great meander of the Loue

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"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.

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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.

Walking The Vorges Monument

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A walk through woods and countryside to discover the little valley tucked away between the two hills of Moulin Caillet and, climbing the beautifully named Chemin de l’Essart du Loup, the Monument de Vorges, in memory of the poor, long-forgotten soldiers of 1870. Return to Busy with lovely views of the keep at Montferrand and the Besançon hills.

Walking The Crêtes trail and the Pierre de Vorges

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Le sentier des Crêtes et la Pierre de Vorges
↔15.75 km ↗+440 m ↘-443 m ◔5h 45 ▲Moderate
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A short climb to warm up your legs and discover two villages and exceptional views over the Doubs and Loue valleys, the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Mont, overlooking the valley, the Château de Thoraise above the river, the feudal castle of Montferrand and its medieval keep overlooking the meanders and, on the horizon, Besançon. Then a more leisurely return via the towpath, along the banks of the Doubs in the protective shade of the ruins.

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