Vaulion walks

Set off to explore the “Cul du Nozon” site towards Vaulion. There are no signposts, which is a shame, as the spot is superb. There are small bridges, a path along the rock face and a waterfall. It is a truly wild and stunning place. Then head for the former Cluniac Abbey (fortified priory) of Romainmôtier, which is now a Protestant church. It is the oldest monastery in Switzerland. It was founded in the mid-5th century by the Fathers of the Jura, Saint Romain and his brother Saint Lupicin. The door is always open and entry is free. Next comes a visit to the Source de la Diaz and, to finish, the Vallon du Nozon: this site has also remained very unspoilt and is a magnificent place. There are several bridges, waterfalls and information boards about the area.

For this fourth stage, after a good hour's walk, you will reach the highest point of the day: the Dent de Vaulion. The lakes of Joux and Brenet will be at your feet. The water from these two lakes flows underground, shaping the karst cave of the Orbe, near Vallorbe. On a clear day, you can see up to eight lakes.

The Gorges de l’Orbe offer magnificent scenery in all seasons. This route, on the left bank, is better suited to the wetter months than the one on the right bank. There are no major difficulties, but some downhill sections can be tricky if you’re walking after rain, with mud and a risk of slipping. Walking poles are not a bad idea, which is why I’ve classified the route as of medium difficulty This route partly overlaps with the Gorges de l'Orbe route featured on the website.

La Dent de Vaulion is the iconic mountain of the Vallée de Joux and Vallorbe, offering a magnificent 360° panorama. A majestic peak overlooking the village of Le Pont, it rises to an altitude of 1,483 metres. Its distinctive shape and location at the far end of Lake Joux earn it a prominent place in many photographs of the region. On a clear day, it is possible to see up to eight distinct lakes: the lakes of Neuchâtel, Biel and Murten, Lake Geneva, Lakes Brenet and Ter, Lake Joux and Lake des Rousses in neighbouring France. The Alps, and in particular the Mont Blanc massif, complete this idyllic landscape.

A superb snowshoe hike takes you to the summit of Dent de Vaulion with a 360° panoramic view of the Alps. Good weather is really a must for this walk if you want to enjoy the exceptional view of the Alps in particular, not to mention the three lakes: Léman, Joux and Brenet.

Stage 4 From Les Rousses to Lake Constance, via the Jura ridges. From the southern slopes of the Knoll, above L'Orbe, the climb to the ridge offers a magnificent panorama: Lake Neuchâtel, the plain and the Alps in the background. The trail crosses the peaceful pastures of the Jura before reaching the Col de l'Aiguillon, close to the French border, marked by anti-tank obstacles and bunkers. The hike continues along the Crête des Aiguilles de Baulmes, lined with 80-metre cliffs, with breathtaking views of Mont Blanc, Lake Geneva, La Dôle and Chasseral. The descent leads to Sainte-Croix, renowned for its music boxes and automatons.

The Dent de Vaulion, the iconic mountain of the Vallée de Joux and Vallorbe. A majestic peak overlooking the village of Le Pont, it rises to an altitude of 1,482 metres. A 360° panorama unfolds before you once you reach the summit. On a clear day, you can admire up to eight distinct lakes: the lakes of Neuchâtel, Biel and Murten, Lake Geneva, Lakes Brenet and Ter, Lake Joux and Lake Rousses. The Alps, and in particular the Mont Blanc massif, complete this idyllic landscape.

Mont Tendre is the highest peak in the Swiss Jura, in the canton of Vaud, at an altitude of 1,679 m. It is situated within the municipality of Montricher.From its summit, you can enjoy a magnificent 360-degree panorama. You can admire the Alps from the Eiger to Mont Pourri (the Vanoise massif), Lake Geneva and Lake Neuchâtel, as well as the majestic Mont Blanc massif. A leisurely return via Lake Joux.

A beautiful but long walk around Lac de Joux with no difficulty apart from a short climb to go round a small cliff plunging into the lake. You walk along exceptionally well-maintained paths, with the verges mown. You cross the protected wetlands on raised boardwalks. Benches placed at regular intervals along the path, and magnificent log-built picnic tables surrounded by barbecues, invite you to take a break and admire the view. After a short climb and a walk through a small housing estate, the scenery changes as you cross summer pastures and spruce forests, where you may encounter various groups of chamois, which are not shy provided you remain quiet and unobtrusive.

Start from the car park at Pont station at the far end of Lac de Joux. Mostly on small tarmac roads. There is just one slightly technical section, but it is well signposted and secured by a cable for the more cautious.

This route around Lake Brenet, near Lake Joux, is peaceful, presents no difficulty and is well worth a visit. It is ideal for a family walk, even with young children.

Stage 3: From Les Rousses to Lake Constance via the Jura ridges. From the beach at Lake Joux to Le Pont, you reach Vallorbe via the Dent de Vaulion (1,483 m) before following and crossing the River Orbe. Since the Middle Ages, Vallorbe has been an important centre for the iron industry thanks to its iron ore deposits and wood reserves. At the Vallorbe Iron and Railway Museum, you leave the town following the shore of Lake Day. The route then passes close to the Day Viaduct, a beautiful arch bridge built in 1925, before arriving at the Day Dam, which holds back the waters of the Orbe, and then Ballaigues, located on the southern slope of the knoll, above the course of the Orbe

An easy walk to do on a clear day to be sure of seeing the Mont Blanc massif. The elevation gain is reasonable. There are some slightly steep but short climbs, panoramic views, and the pleasure of reaching the Morond and admiring the landscape from the Mont d’Or.Please note that you may have to cross meadows where cows graze freely.

On this fifth stage, you will reach the highest point of the Swiss Jura and also of this 6-day route: Mont Tendre. This summit offers a splendid view of the canton of Vaud, Lake Geneva and the Alps.You’ll also see the numerous piles of stone gathered from fields stretching for kilometres. These are stone walls built to mark out plots of land or enclose areas for grazing livestock.

Setting off from Croy, you follow the Nozon, a charming river through its gorges and past the Dard waterfall. You will pass through the pretty village of La Sarraz and its castle before heading to the former abbey church of Romainmôtier, which was founded in the mid-5th century.

A lovely, easy walk along the Orbe river.

This hike will take you from one alpine chalet to another on Mont d'Or.

A circular route with no major difficulties, which runs along the cliffs of Mont-d’Or and its viewpoints over Lake Geneva, the Alps and Mont Blanc, before reaching the typical alpine farms of the Haut-Doubs.

Starting from the ski car park at Entre-les-Fourgs. A beautiful hike towards the Knoll, opening up to 360° views.

A lovely French-Swiss walk with magnificent views of the Alps and Lake Geneva.

Visit to the Dard waterfall starting from the Diaconat de Saint-Loup, with the option of returning via a short detour above the cliff. No major difficulty apart from the climb when taking the detour. It takes less than an hour at a normal walking pace to reach the waterfall and return via the same route, or 1½ hours via the detour (significant elevation gain at the start of the detour over about 100 m, but accessible to all walkers). You can park either at the Saint-Loup hospital car park or in the village of Pompaples. If parking in the village, you can park above the cemetery (Rue du Four) and join the path that follows the Nozon stream directly below the cemetery (staircase alongside the cemetery).

A short circular loop of about 1½ hours, or a return trip with the option to stop and visit Sarraz Castle (Horse Museum). Start behind Saint-Loup Hospital or from its upper car park. From the top of Sarraz, simply follow the orange sign for the footpath. You can return via the same path as the outward route to avoid walking alongside the road; please note that the road has a footpath from Sarraz to Pompaples.

This hike will take you up Mont d'Or, where you can enjoy the view, then look down on it from below. You will pass through different environments and see a rich and diverse range of flora depending on the season.

Coming from the north, Morond is the first iconic peak in the Jura to be reached. It rises to an altitude of 1,419 metres. The summit can be reached in half a day from Métabief or Les Hôpitaux-Neufs. The climb offers remarkable views of the region and Switzerland, including Lake Geneva. You can combine this walk with the Métabief summer toboggan run or the tourist train ride starting in Les Hôpitaux-Neufs.

A themed walk centred on one of the region’s cheeses, Morbier. The first part of this idyllic walk follows the river, passes through the villages and past the Mont d’Or cheese dairy, before offering a lovely viewpoint halfway along the route, set amongst woodland and pastures.

This easy walk follows paths and roads from Labergement-Sainte-Marie to the Gorges du Fourperet via Rochejean. The River Doubs, which gave its name to the department, forms the backbone of the route, winding its way through forests and lush green meadows.

This half-day hike offers beautiful views of the Lac de Remoray Nature Reserve, the Fourperet Gorges on the banks of the Doubs and the alternating spruce forests and pasture meadows. You can also admire the mountains around Métabief.

Lac de Remoray, formerly known as Lac Savoureux, is located just upstream from Lac de Saint-Point and used to be part of it. Over thousands of years, the Doubs River, with its alluvial deposits, has separated the original large lake into two. You will discover a patchwork of very different environments: lakes, marshes, peat bogs, rivers, meadows and forests. The viewpoint overlooking the two lakes offers a unique view of the diversity of these landscapes, giving this hike a special charm.

From bright, flower-filled mountain pastures, you will climb towards the ridges through the silent Bataillards forest, skirting its steep limestone cliffs, the first slopes of the Jura, cut into needles that offer views of the Alps, Mont Blanc, Lake Geneva and Lake Neuchâtel. On the other side, the panorama stretches from La Dôle to Chasseral, via the Knoll and the Dent de Vaulion.

The route around the lake is a long hike but on good roads. Saint-Point-Lac is the third-largest natural lake in France. The path will take you along and close to the lake but also rises up a little and leads away from it at times for better views. This trail is littered with signs to better understand your environment.

A pleasant walk through forest and pastureland, overlooking the lake. Halfway along the route, there is a superb view of the two lakes from the viewpoint. Return via the same route.