Memorial trail in Auxelles-Haut

Park in the car park at the Auxelles-Haut town hall.
The walk is signposted with the FFI symbol.

(S/E) Walk up Rue des Bruyères. Go round the town hall by turning right into Rue des Étangs, walk past the church until you reach the stream.

(1) After the last houses, turn right to cross the Rhôme. Take the path opposite, which climbs steeply. Once at the top, turn right, walk down slightly and join Rue des Phalandriers. Continue along this street.

(2) Turn left onto the first path. Signposting indicates this junction just before number 20 on the street. An information board describes the Roger Vaneste memorial stone. The memorial stone is located further up, a short detour away in the middle of the pasture. Then continue north-eastwards and keep climbing to reach the forest track.

(3) Turn left onto it and follow the track. Pass a path on your left and reach the foresters’ turning area.

(4) Carry on straight ahead. A few metres further on, the path splits. Take the left-hand path and pass two memorial stones. A little further up, rejoin the main path. Continue climbing to the Col du Querty.

(5) Turn left onto the wide forest road. Pass a path on your left, then follow the hairpin bend to the right. You’ll reach the junction with the nature reserve path.

(6) Turn left onto this path. Enter the Ballons Comtois Nature Reserve. From this point onwards, you are entering a wildlife quiet zone. Dogs are no longer permitted here.
At the next junction, turn right, ignore a path on the left and continue uphill to reach the Chaume du Querty. Information board.

(7) Walk up this stretch, passing to the left of two chalets. At the top of the Chaume, there’s a superb view. The path enters the forest, passing by the Roche-Fendue, marked by a sign.
Ignore the path on the left that climbs to the summit and head slightly downhill. You’ll arrive alongside the slopes of the Planche des Belles Filles ski resort. A sign reads ‘FFI monument 400m’. Do take the detour to read the information panel, which is very informative.

(8) Take a hairpin bend to the left and pass above the ski lift. Cross the meadow and pass under another ski lift.
Continue uphill along the path, which is actually the green-run ski slope. It is also used for the final climb in the Tour de France. The path enters the forest.

(9) Further on, the path branches off to the right.
Note: one alternative route is particularly recommended: take a round trip by following the path on the left which climbs to the summit of the Planche des Belles Filles. There is a lovely view from the summit.

(9) Carry on following the signposts. Further on, take the path on the left. The route stays along the hillside on the Haute-Saône side, leads onto a ridge and then returns to the Territoire de Belfort. Follow the signposts carefully: turn left, then a little further on, turn right. After a fairly steep descent, keeping straight on, the slope of the path becomes gentle and even as it winds through beautiful beech woods before reaching the Mont Ménard hut. (open shelter for a picnic, with facilities for making a fire)

(10) Continue down the slope opposite to reach a Fork in the road.

(11) Follow the path on the left which descends through the Mont Ménard moorland. Pass by the Vierge des Deux Auxelles.
At the gate at the bottom of the moor, turn left and then immediately right, following a narrow path. Keep a close eye on the signposts. The path joins the forest track a little further down and crosses it. You’ll arrive near the small astronomical observatory, situated below.

(12) Turn right, walk past the observatory, turn left and walk past the memorial stone and the FFI monument to Mayor Lamboley. Join the gravel path and follow it to the right as it descends.
You’ll arrive in Auxelles-Haut via Rue Saint-Jean, then turn right onto Rue des Bruyères.

(13) Pass Rue du Château on your right and, as you come out of the bend, turn right onto Rue de la Stolle to reach the starting point (S/E).

The walk starts at the car park by the town hall in Auxelles-Haut. Address: 18 Rue des Bruyères, 90200 Auxelles-Haut.

(6) During this walk, you will enter the wildlife quiet zone of the Ballons Comtois Nature Reserve. Dogs are not permitted, even when kept on a lead.
From 15 December to 14 July, please stay on the marked and authorised paths. From 15 July to 14 December, only pedestrians are permitted off the paths.

(11) Mont Ménard hut: open shelter for picnics, with facilities for making a fire

(Between 11 and 12) Pass by the Vierge des Deux Auxelles and a landscape information board showing all the peaks visible in good weather (Mont Blanc, Jungfrau, etc.).

Visorando was provided with this information by Mr Chevalley, a volunteer member of Balisage90, based on leaflets published by the Belfort Territorial Department.
The walk is signposted with the FFI symbol.

The legacy of the Chemin de la Mémoire.
This trail was inaugurated in 2011, in collaboration with the Souvenir Français association. This is why, throughout this walk, you will find memorial stones and information boards commemorating the sacrifice of the resistance fighters. The FFI (French Forces of the Interior) from the Belfort region were indeed mobilised during September 1944. Their mission was to disrupt German troops through guerrilla actions.
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Auxelles-Haut, a village in La Stolle''.

The village of Auxelles-Haut owes its existence to mining. Traces of this mining activity can still be seen today, such as mine galleries, old miners’ houses and spoil heaps. The name ‘rue de la Stolle’ in the village also reflects this mining past, as the word ‘stolle’ refers to a mine gallery.
La Chaume du Querty.

This mountain pasture forms part of the Ballons Comtois nature reserve. Abandoned following the decline of mountain farming in the 1950s, the pasture has been the subject of ecological management measures. These initiatives have enabled the establishment of extensive grazing and the maintenance of an open landscape favourable to the capercaillie.
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The Mont Ménard heathland.''

Acidophilous heathlands and grasslands are very rare in Franche-Comté. And the one at Mont Ménard nearly disappeared altogether, following the abandonment of farming and the encroachment of the forest. Work has been carried out to safeguard this site, which is exceptional for the diversity of its flora and fauna.

You are about to pass through a Natura 2000 site.
Natura 2000 is a network of European natural sites selected for the rarity or fragility of their wild species – both animal and plant – and their habitats. Natura 2000 implements measures to preserve
ecological diversity and regional development.
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La Planche des Belles Filles.

Situated at an altitude of 1,148 metres, this small mid-mountain resort has enjoyed significant exposure thanks to several Tour de France finishes.

The legend of the Roche Fendue and the Étang des Belles Filles
Legend has it that La Planche des Belles Filles owes its name to the girls of Auxelles who fled the Swedish invaders in the 17th century. Betrayed by the footprints in the snow of a child who had come to warn them of the danger, they threw themselves into the Étang de la Planche. In a fit of rage, the Swedish commander is said to have struck and split a rock with the edge of his sword.