The most beautiful natural sites to discover Franche-Comté

The lacets road connecting Saint-Claude to Septmoncel allows to admire a geological fold, of which the form so special, recalls a bicorne, the emblematic couvre couvre napoleonic napoleonic. This natural curiosity, on which a waterfall is formed in rainy times, is visible on your left, when you climb towards Septmoncel. A small car park is set up on your right, facing the Chapeau de Gendarme, to allow you to observe it more closely. For sportsmen, nature lovers or those whose stomach does not appreciate lacets turns, it is possible to access them by following a hiking circuit from Saint-Claude or Septmoncel (duration: from 1 h to 6 h 30 depending on the course chosen). On your way you can also discover the waterfalls of the.

Promenons us in the woods… It borders the city on the north-west side and extends from its proud trees to 1 673 ha. Complete health course, area of attraction of the Main Barracks (parking, shelters, playgrounds, hiking trails) and a zoo area (a water point, nest park…) are all guarantees of change and green. Finally, on the roads, or on the stone roads, offer a forest trip about 1 h 15, in the heart of the Massif forest, every Sunday, starting from the Main barracks.

Beach authorized for 2 kilometers on the north shore of Lake Chalain and managed by Chalain Nature association.

Just a few kilometres from Besançon, this exceptional view of the Franc Chapel is located in the hamlet of the Buis Chapel, on horseback on Fontain, Morre and Boucle. This lookout on the crest of St. Stephen Hill is approximately 500 metres high. So the Bisontins come there on the big summer heats to find a fresh breeze. After a little tour in the hamlet, you can quietly visit our Buis Lady Chapel before pushing to the lookout. Next, we will stop at Notre-Dame de la Libération, a small church built in a former fort in the aftermath of the Second World War in memory of the Bisontins and Bisontines victims of the conflict. A statue of more than 7 metres overlooks the panorama and the small church. Between contemplation, historic walk and point of view, the pretexts for making this walk are numerous.

From Saint-Claude, take the direction of Geneva, Septmoncel, and then Du municipal camping. In the hamlet Le Martinet you can park on the small square of the village or follow the sign on the left towards the Gorges gorges and park a few hundred meters further, on a small, improvised parking. There are various marked trails (from easy to very, very sporty). You can opt for the Tour de la Gorges, the Cascades Promenade, the White Rock Belvedere or the Chapeau de chapeau de De. Count from a. m. to a. m. on the route chosen. The Flumen is a tributary of Parr and the waterfalls are outbreaks. They plunge into a preserved circus, classified as a natural heritage of national interest. They are accessible through a unique path: Make good shoes and count 1 hours round round. In summer, in warm weather or summer, the site is fresh and pleasant, as bordered by the forest. Practicable in any season, however, we advise you to carry out Cascades walk after rain or in winter when it freezes. It is simply splendid.

Are you looking for a typical Jura landscape, between the Pic de l'Aigle and the plateau of Champagnole? This glacial lake, set in a cirque with wooded slopes, offers sublime landscapes. With a surface area of 22 hectares (if peat bogs are taken into account), it is very deep. Its "black" waters, which intrigue and even worry some, spread over 700 metres long and 300 metres wide. It is very rich in whitefish, Arctic char, roaches, perch and other fish. Around 1170, Thibert de Montmorot founded a charterhouse closed in 1791 and converted it into a weapons factory. The western shoreline is made up of peat bogs. On the east bank, a path allows you to go for a walk and discover various landscapes: undergrowth, wet meadows, peat bogs, reeds, water lilies, rushes... The most courageous will walk to a lookout with a bird's eye view of the lake. The laziest will drive to the belvedere of La Ronde and its exceptional panorama: Pic de l'Aigle, Bonlieu, Ilay and Maclu lakes. Attention! The western shoreline is not trafficable.

The Maison du Tourisme du Ballon d'Alsace is a natural site located in Lepuix, Alsace.

From the town of Fontenu you will reach Copperplate in the direction of Ilay, with a breathtaking view of Chalain lake.

The cliff overlooking Poligny is an ideal place for climbing. The tracks are 15 to 55 metres high. You will find the topo of different routes at the tourist office. Attention: some are inaccessible from 15 June to 15 September. Why? Because hawks come to do their nests there. Don't bother them! For those who are not enthusiastic about climbing, you can walk to the «moon hole» starting from the Tower de la Sergenterie. The 5 km circuit is signposted and takes 2 hours to complete it.

In these moss and pleasant woods, between Arbois and Champagnole, 234 prehistoric tombs have been discovered. These burial, rocks of stone or land that our ancestors raised above the tombs form one of the most beautiful funerary ensembles in Eastern France. Some of these necropolises date back to the th century… before our age!

On the municipality of Fontenu, view of the castle of Chalain.

One of the largest French forests with an area of over 20 000 hectares. It extends between Doubs and Rent. In the past, it housed a small people: families whose fathers worked as bûcherons or charcoal. Wood was a necessary commodity for feeding the Salines, the forges and the glass of the region. You can still admire what remains of their modest homes at Old-Loye. These barracks were built in soil mixed with grass and wood. Wood workers, in order to avoid the daily fatigue of return to home, housed in baccus. Some have been reconstituted in the village of Etrepigney. We also find, towards Our, a land oven that a family used to use a few decades ago. The immensity of this forest is ideal for a break and relaxation. At one of the many forest paths that cross it, you'll find stone columns that have been used as landmarks since the beginning of the th century. A very rich fauna this sanctuary of beech and oaks. Deer, wild boar and deer accompany you secretly in this forest of legends…

In Ménétrux-en-Joux, follow the D39 towards Saint-Laurent. The belvedere is indicated. The view is superb since you discover the most important of the Hérisson waterfalls: the Éventail waterfall whose jump reaches... 65 m high! Impressive and even more so when the snow melts.

To discover this little Jura gem, take direction Chevrotaine from Narlay and continue for about 1,5 km. In summer, the lake is difficult to detect because of the thick vegetation surrounding it. It is on the left, below the road. Don't give up. The place is preserved and sublime. You can reach the other end, more clear, by walking through the fields.

This small crescent-shaped lake is the seventh of the "7 lakes", even if it is a little far from its 6 "big brothers" between Bonlieu and Le Frasnois. Lake Fioget is a private lake, so you can't fish there. Surrounded by forests, the banks are dedicated to agricultural activity but they are accessible to hikers, especially from Pont-de-la-Chaux (Chaux-des-Crotenay) by a path that crosses the Bois de Ban. Like the other bodies of water in the area, it was the refuge of the Gallic druids. The very rare "Male Orchis" grows there.

Gradually, this little lake envase, it will soon become a simple marsh, then a meadow and finally the forest will take the place, according to an inevitable process natural: . To see it while still time, in Onoz, take the D 3 departmental Road and then turn slightly on the left (D 60). The lake is on your left.

A few steps from the city centre, 90 ha of shade and 8 km of pedestrian paths, half of which are reachable in all seasons and by all the time. A 1 700 m health course will probably complement your walk. From the fort of Bregille you can admire the citadel of high (which is not so common), as well as a panoramic view of Besançon. On sunny days, the sunset is facing you from this fort! To get there: The car from the Chemin du fort de Bregille or, more picturesque, a pedestrian trail (departure above the Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc church).

Ognon takes its Source in the Vosges and serves as a border between the departments of Doubs and Haute Saone before throwing itself into the Saône towards Pontailler, Côte d'Or. It borders Melisey, Lure and Villersexel. You can start walking in the upper valley by "The Saut Jump" in Servance, a 14-metre waterfall. It the heart of the plateau of the thousand ponds, which is a place for all lovers of a green nature.

To be exact, the rock of Haute-Pierre is not located in the valley. It overlooks the village of Lods and offers one of the most beautiful views of the Loue and its meanders. At the height of Petit Paris on the N 57, don't miss petty 244, which extends to the village of Hautepierre-le-Châtelet. It is possible to park on the landscaped car park. Then undertake, at the height of the cemetery and the last point of water, the delicate ascent.

After 10 minutes on a compact earth trail, we see the cross, planted at the top of the rock. Brown and friable land suddenly gives way to limestone. Only a few metres and the gentle slope stops abruptly, changes incline and turns into a cliff. Loue flows 300 m below. Marsotte-Haute-Pierre is on your left. Lods is located further downstream. In summer we see canoes on the river and trout fishermen on its shores. In winter, you can simply take the quality of the landscape. This is one of the most beautiful views of the Loue Valley, one of the department's jewels.

Do you dream of seeing a deer in the forest, chanterelles under a bed of leaves or climbing up to the treetops? Welcome to Châtillon Forest! This state forest extends integrally on a nearly 9,000 ha, and it is the largest wooded area in Côte d'Or. Part of this hardwood forest will become National Park, just like the one of Vanoise or Cevennes. These woods have a rich and diverse animal population and rare flowers, such as the Lady's slipper or Ligularia sibirica, highly appreciated for their beauty. Walkers have 21 marked circuits on the Châtillonnais, with very different landscapes from one circuit to the other: Cirque de la Coquille, caves, monuments, vineyards, castles, abbeys… Hunting with hounds is possible from September 15th to March 31st. You can attend it as a spectator. Information at the Val des Choues abbey (✆ 03 80 81 01 09).

See to believe it! The best preserved nature in Europe is in Franche-Comté… Forests occupy half of that territory. The regional natural parks of the Balls des Vosges and Haut-Jura cover 4650 km ². The hiking trails are 7000 km, the water courses over 5350 km. There are more than 80 lakes… Discover the Plateau des Mille Etangs, the valleys of Saône, La Loue, the Doubs, some of the most beautiful villages in France like Pesmes, heritage towns such as Arbois, Belfort, Besançon, Dole, Montbéliard, Pontarlier, Vesoul…

A few minutes from the source of the Libby, you access it through a walking path. A work of nature built over metres high and metres wide, the Sarrazine cave offers an impressive spectacle, worthy of the greatest cathedrals. On its foot, the Sarrazin Reach plays the perturbateurs and flows more or less, depending on the rains. Note that exploration of the underground network is reserved for the experienced spéologues.

A 4 km from Ouhans. Take the D 376, direction Renédale. The point of view which is being accessed is that of Marsotte-Haute-Pierre. With these two viewpoints, you embrace the entire Loue Valley, and you can easily catch dizzy!

Possibility of guided Visite forest tour in July and August. However, attention: the initiative may not be renewed from one year to the next. This forest, especially for its fir trees, gives the opportunity to discover many species, some of which are quite spectacular. To see, the President-in-Office, of remarkable Proportions, has a special consideration on the part of the inhabitants of the surrounding villages.

An educational island of greenery created by the Maison de l'Environnement association between Loire and Allier, the Arche de la Biodiversité is a landscaped and faunistic area whose aim is to preserve the local fauna and flora and to raise public awareness of the environment. 15 ha of meadows, hedged farmland, vegetable gardens, a protected orchard, and two ponds hosting an unsuspected wealth of fauna. Two themed trails allow a playful approach to the area.