C210-STANDARD  Lakes and waterfalls in Jura

Facing the high Jura Hills spreads a quiet region at mid altitude; a region made of wide open spaces, deep forests, small torrents, sumptuous cascades and splendid lakes, which you will progressively discover with the excursion. Some of these lakes are wild and circled by forest giving them a severe air, others are more pleasant and their banks shelter some beautifully laid out beaches. You will cross charming villages where some ancestral traditions still remain such as the manufacture of the Comté, a cheese from the area. You are here in a country of gastronomy and you will appreciate the many local specialties!

Itinerary

Day 1 – Arrival at PONT DE POITTE, a small village located at the banks of the Ain River. Dinner, bed and breakfast in a 2-star hotel

Day 2 – LA PYLE bridge – PONT DE POITTE (24 km – 7.00 hour walk). A taxi drops you by the La Pyle bridge in the morning. Through the forest, you head to the Belvedere de Chateau Renard and walking along the lake to the La Pyle bridge. You continue to the Sauchauffant beach and ascent onto the top  of some hills dominating the lake. You leave the lake to go and discover some picturesque villages and hamlets as St Christophe or Marsonnay. You will reach again the lake banks by the tiny La Saisse port and walk along the Ain river to Pont de Poitte, admiring the famous “marmites des Geants” (large holes drilled into the boulders in river beds by the flow of water) and the “Saut de la Saisse” (small waterfall). Dinner, bed and breakfast in a the same hotel

Day 3 – PONT DE POITTE – CLAIRVAUX LES LACS (25 km – 730 hour walk).  You leave Pont de Poitte walking along the other bank of the Ain river and Vouglans lake. The path runs along water or through fields to reach and go across some pleasant villages. Past Auge, you will leave the lake and will pass through meadows and forests to attain Thonia, a small village known for its Fruitière, where Comté cheese in still produced in a traditional manner.  You will make your way through the prairies towards the hamlet of Soucia and the small lake and large Lake of Clairvaux.  These will guide you to your hotel. Dinner, bed and breakfast in a 2-star hotel on the lake’s edge

Day 4 – CLAIRVAUX LES LACS – ILAY (commune of Chaux du Dombief – 22km – 6.30 hour walk).  The path brings you to Uxelles, a small village snuggled around a lovely 17^th-century chapel and joined to the Vallée du Hérisson (Hedgehog Valley).  This river has no connection whatsoever to the animal for which it seems to have been named.  Its name was actually derived from a mixture of Greek and Celtic words which mean “sacred water”.  The name is no error, this is truly a divine place!  Seven waterfalls fall in succession of each other over several kilometers, the largest falling from more than 60 kilometers high!  It is a spectacular vision of the magic of water!  Your hotel is at the end of the path. Dinner, bed and breakfast in a 2-star hotel 

Day 5 – 25 km circular walk in the discovery of the Lac (lake) de Bonlieu, La Vallée (valley) du Drouvenant, La Reculée and the Cascade (waterfall) de la Frasnée, passing by the village Saint Maurice-Crillat, the Crillat Chapel, the belvedere of La Frasnée and the resurgence of Le Trou des Gangônes.  You will return by way of the Lac de Bonlieu’s other shore, where you find ruins of the Chartreuse Notre-Dame Dinner, bed and breakfast in the same 2-star hotel

Day 6 – 22 km circular walk in discovery of the Four Lakes.  The day begins with an ascent towards the Chaux du Dombief, which you will attain because you will turn off before, crossing through the forest to the Belvedere of the Four Lakes.  Behold, a magnificent view onto the lakes of Ilay, Narlay the the Grand and Petit Mache.  You will follow the coastal road to the Pic de l’Aigle (Eagle’s Peak).  You will then descend to the banks of the Lacs Mache for a stroll which will bring you to the Lac de Narlay – the smallest but deepest of the four – and will then turn towards Ilay by the path overlooking the Lac d’Ilay.  The small island in the middle of this lake was once home to one of the oldest monsters of the region of the Franche Comté – Dinner, bed and breakfast in the same 2-star hotel

Day 7 – ILAY – DOUCIER (23 km – 7 hour walk).  You will leave the hamlet and, for the pleasure of it, descend the Chemin des Sept Cascades (Path of the Seven Waterfalls)!  You will continue your hike in the Vallée du Hérisson to discover two natural lakes which will welcome you into calm and reverie… the Lacs du Val et de Chambly.  You will walk along their banks to Doucier.  But before heading to the hotel, you will admire the Lac de Chalain of the belvederes of “Sur la Roche” and of La Fraite.  You will descend then to the banks and follow the lake to the village – Dinner, bed and breakfast in a 2-star hotel

Day 8 – DOUCIER.  Tour ends after breakfast.

Season

From end of April to end of October but be careful this area is very crowded in summer time and we recommend you (if you can) to come outside this period. Nevertheless this area attracts a lot of tourists and you have to reserve earlier to get the best rooms.

What’s included?

• 7 nights’ accommodation in selected 2-star hotels
• 7 breakfasts – 7 dinners
• Hotel to hotel luggage transfer along the trail
• A set of maps (1/25 000 scale) with the route marked on and detailed route notes describing the trail.
• A daily itinerary together with information about facilities and places of interest along the trail.
• Emergency assistance.

Visa fees – transportation fees to and from the walk area – Insurance (strongly recommended on all trips) – Transfers except those mentioned above – Drinks – Additional meals –Entrance fees – Spending of personal nature e.g. laundry, souvenirs, phone calls…are not included

Getting there and away

By train: The nearest train station is at Lons le Saulnier. Take the TGV to Dole or Bourg en Bresse and a connection by bus or car to Lons. A taxi will bring you from Lons to Pont de Poitte. To return, take a taxi from Doucier to the station at Lons le Saulnier.

By car: Take the motorway in the direction of Lons-le-Saulnier. Take Exit 8 in the direction of Morez-Clairvaux and follow the route 18 km to Pont de Poitte. Your hotel is in the center of the village

Where to park: Free, unguarded parking at Pont de Poitte

Walk difficulty

Grade 3 – No major difficulty, you walk 6 to 8 hours a day. The grade 3 reflects the length of some stages (between 25 and 32 kilometers) and the nature of the terrain. The total altitude gain is about 500 to 700 meters a day, some ascents or descents could be steep. This walk requires a reasonable degree of walking experience and a current good state of fitness