Ruaux – the Semouse Valley

Start at the Grande Rue car park, near the church.

(S/E) Take the Grande Rue away from the church and turn left into Rue de la Poste.

(1) Turn left towards the Notre-Dame-de-Consolation Chapel.

(2) Retrace your steps.

(1) Take the path on the left again. This path runs alongside a pond and then turns left at a right angle. After passing a cross, go down a grassy path in the middle of a meadow. This path turns into a tarmac road. Follow it until you come to a dirt track on your right, the entrance to which is bordered on the left by a copse of trees.

(3) Follow this path until you reach a road. Turn left onto it and continue until you come to a path entrance on your right, named Rue du Crime.

(4) Continue along this track, which takes a wide bend to the right. Ignore a track entrance on the right. Turn right at the next entrance and continue until you reach a right-angled bend leading to Clairefontaine.

(5) At this bend, turn left onto a small forest track. Carry on straight ahead until you reach the ruins of the Château des Fées.

(6) Return to the path, which takes a fairly sharp right-hand bend, then, a little further on, a hairpin left-hand bend and begins to descend steeply. Continue down the slope to the Semouse.

(7) Take a short walk along the riverbank, then head back up and take the path on the left, which follows the course of the river from a distance and at a higher elevation. A long climb will take you to a crossroads.

(8) Follow the path on the left, signposted ‘viewpoint 100 m’. View of the hamlet of Semouse.

(9) Turn back.

(8) Take the path on the left again, which continues to climb, and cross the Tacot bridge

(10) Continue straight ahead uphill until you reach the D20 at Moulin de Ruaux.

(11) Turn carefully right onto the D20. Ignore the D20 bis which branches off to your right and carry on straight ahead until you come to a path on your right.

(12) Take this path, which runs mainly along the edge of fields. Cross a small road, continue for about 400 metres and turn right, following the signposts, to come out onto Rue du Mont.

(13) Turn right onto it, then take the first left you come to.

(14) Follow it until you reach Grande Rue, where you turn left until you reach the car park near the church (S/E).

• There are two car parks on Grande Rue, on the left-hand side of Ruaux Church when facing the main entrance.

• Several walks start from Ruaux. At the start, you’ll find signposts with rings of different colours. The colour we’re looking for is red, which becomes the only one after the Notre-Dame-de-Consolation Chapel (2). Be sure to return along the path you’ve just taken! Do not follow the signposts telling you not to go back.

• In wet weather, some sections of the route can be quite muddy. Please wear suitable footwear.

• (S/E) Ruaux Church.
• (6) the Château des Fées, a cluster of moss-covered rocks.
• (7) a charming picnic spot on the banks of the Semouse.
• (11) the Pont du Tacot, a remnant of an old railway line.