Country:
District:
Parking is available in front of the Town Hall in the centre of Saint-Hippolyte. Yellow and blue markings.
Take the small alleyway to the left of the town hall to walk around the church, passing charming old houses. Return to the Grande Rue via Rue Courtois to discover a medieval house. Turn left and, before the bridge, turn right to visit the former Ursuline convent. Cross the bridge, pass La Poste, and take the D.121 towards Chamesol. Enter the Colruyt (supermarket) car park, heading towards the left corner of the school (former railway station) where you will find the signposts. Turn left towards the large oak tree and the signpost.
(1) Turn left towards Chapelle du Mont, passing the first street on your right and taking the second, Rue Sous la Chapelle, up to the cemetery. Cross the road and immediately climb the path opposite, leaving the signposts behind for a moment. After a few bends, you will arrive at the chapel and a first viewpoint over Saint-Hippolyte.
(2) After the chapel, descend 200 metres along the small tarmac road, then climb up to the right. When the road ends in a cul-de-sac, continue climbing to the right along the stony path. At the edge of the woods, at the signpost, continue straight on to the D.121, towards Grotte de la Roche.
(3) Turn right onto the main road for 100 metres, then left onto the small tarmac road towards Soulce, passing a picnic table. Before passing under the high-voltage power line, there is a lovely view on the right of the mountains of the Dessoubre valley.
(4) When the road turns 90° to the left at the edge of the woods, the signpost is somewhat hidden by the greenery. Turn right into the field, following the edge on your left, passing the first path that enters the woods and taking the second path on the left, 200 metres further down. This is a beautiful, light forest with slender trees.
(5) About a kilometre further on, as the path approaches the cliffs, you will come to a beautiful open space overlooking the magnificent rocks of the Château de la Roche and the entire Doubs valley. It is an ideal spot for a picnic while enjoying the superb view. A little further on, you can leave the marked path for a few moments to get closer to the cliff and a new viewpoint.
(6) The cliff path then becomes a farm track, joining a gravel road which you will descend on the right. You will reach a small clearing. Head left, passing the remains of an old farm, then continue downhill through the field, passing between two large trees. At the bottom of the clearing, at the foot of a signpost that looks ready to fall over, the meadow path forks; continue straight ahead. You will re-enter the woods.
(7) After a bend, at a marker post, the path forks. Descend to the left through a beautiful forest, towards Glère, following the yellow-red markings. The path becomes stony and leads to a pretty little farm (Les Côtes). Descend to Soulce-Cernay via the tarmac road on the right. In Soulce, cross the bridge to reach the church and its presbytery. Cross the bridge again and turn left towards La Saunerie.
(8) At the hamlet, turn left into the cul-de-sac to see the well where brine was extracted. Then turn back to the first lamppost and turn left to rejoin the marked path. At La Grosse Roche, a magnificent old farmhouse lost in the middle of nowhere and sadly abandoned, walk about fifty steps to the right into the field, climbing the small hill for a view of the valley, then return to the top of the building to find a signpost.
(9) Head towards Saint-Hippolyte. The path becomes stony. Shortly after the house, when you re-enter the woods, look for a signpost on the left (with the signs upside down) and take the path on the left. You will enter a small clearing. Follow the lower edge of the clearing to find a well-marked path and signposts. Be careful, as the descent can be slippery in wet weather. You will pass a beautiful tufa waterfall.
(10) When the path leaves the woods and starts to climb again, pay attention as the markings are not obvious. Look for a path that descends to the left, passing below a small house. If you reach the house, go back down and look for the path.
(11) Two hundred metres below the house, the path forks. Take the right-hand path to reach Rue de la Baumotte, where you will turn right to reach Rue de la Gare.
(1) Head back down to the left towards old Saint-Hippolyte via the same path you took on the way up.
The route includes cliff-top paths and unsecured viewpoints. The paths are rocky and slippery in places. Sturdy footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended.
Visorando member
Easy 
