Saint-Colombe and its chapel, La Planée and its memorial stone

Free car park at the Granges-Dessus Nordic Centre.

(S/E) Take care and walk down the road for about 200 metres until you reach the right-hand bend. Continue along the forest track on the left via the Combe aux Loups.

(1) Take the path on your right (you’re on the Saint-Colombe mountain bike trail) to join the forest track at Côte des Granges l’Église.

(2) Carry on straight ahead, then at a junction, turn left. Continue to the entrance to the village of Saint-Colombe. Stay on the main path at all times.

(3) Go round the cross via the path to avoid the main road on your left. Then continue along Rue du Tilleul until you reach the cemetery. Take Route de la Chapelle on your left and climb up to the Chapel of Notre-Dame de Bon Secours. There’s a lovely view over the valley. Continue climbing the road until the next junction.

(4) Take the path on your right, heading towards Le Souillet, then Le Tessaire. Ignore all other paths until you reach the road.

(5) Take care and continue along the road for 200 m. Then take the forest track on your right. 100 m further on, take a path on your left.

(6) Carry on straight ahead at the junction, then at the fork much further on, take the path on the right towards the Sapin Président de Bannans. Walk past it and continue for about 150 metres.

(7) Turn right. Continue along the track until you reach the sign for “Stèle Marie-Hélène”.

(8) Turn left and walk for 100 metres. When you reach the memorial, carry on downhill until you come to a hunting lodge. Continue until you reach the forest track.

(9) Take it on your right, pass the cross, then turn left at the first path. At a place called La Corne à Poulain, the path turns into a forest track, leading to a junction at Combe Donjean.

(10) Take the path leading uphill on your left towards the hut, then carry on straight ahead, passing another hut. Continue until you reach the road.

(11) Head down the road on your right to reach the village of La Planée. Take the Route de Vaux, pass the town hall and continue to the church.

(12) Take the road going uphill on your left and continue uphill to the wayside cross. Then carry on to the next junction on your right.

(13) Cross the road carefully, take the forest track on your right and turn right at the first path, heading towards Oye and Pallet. Stay on this path and ignore all other tracks.

(14) When you reach a forest track, take it on your left, then look out for a path on your right shortly afterwards. Take this path and you’ll come out onto another forest track at a place called Les Prés Varaux. Continue along this track.

(15) Carry on to the left. Stay on the main track until the next junction at the hamlet of Combe à la Cloche.

(16) Turn right, then stay on the path on the left.

(17) Keep to the left and stay on this track until the next junction. Before reaching the road, head up to the right to reach the car park (S/E).

Rest area at La Chapelle Notre-Dame de Bon Secours.

Hunting lodge.

One slight drawback of this walk: lots of forest tracks.

You can make a round trip to the Oratory of the Sacred Heart, which is on your right when you’re on the road right at the start of the walk.

Memorial to Marie-Hélène Wuilleumier, a Resistance fighter executed by the Nazis on 13 July 1944. Born on 17 August 1907 in Paris, she held a Bachelor’s degree in Arts, a D.E.S. in Philosophy, and was a graduate of the École du Louvre; she was an agrégée teacher at the Collège Sévigné in Paris. Having joined the Resistance at a very early stage as part of the ‘Périclès’ network, in 1944 she joined the staff of Lieutenant-Colonel Lagarde, commander of the Doubs-Jura Border Group, where she took charge of intelligence operations.