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From Lons le Saunier to Besançon, this 6 day cycling trip takes us through the rolling Jura mountains that separate the Swiss from the French. Montbéliard cattle graze peacefully in the pastures, famous mainly for the cheese made from its milk, the delicious Comté. They will be our ever present guide as we make our way through the wonderful Jura countryside: through deep green spruce forests and wild gorges, past numerous small lakes with crystal-clear waters that mirror the abundant wild flowers growing on their waters edge; alongside orchards, vinyards and impossibly rich green meadows that light up the rolling hills of the Jura and through unspoilt traditional villages and hamlets: From the classified wine villages of Arbois or Château-Chalon to the imperial abbey of Baume-les-Messieurs and the royal salt pans of Arc et Senans to the picturesque village of Ornans. All that's missing is a typical aperitif: a bite of fruity Comté cheese paired with a good glass of Vin Jaune. Cheers !
Itinerary start : Rendezvous with organization team is fixed on day 1 at 9am at SNCF train station of Lons-Le-Saunier. On demand we can book for you one night in Lons-Le-Saunier for the previous day.
From Lons-le-Saunier, we set off on our bicycles along the so-called "PLM" greenway, which follows the old railway line linking the cities of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. This greenway runs along the vineyards between Perrigny and Conliège, with superb views over the Vallière valley. This gentle ascent of the plateau through the Monts de Revigny narrow valley is punctuated by numerous engineering structures, including the 800m long illuminated tunnel of La Diane. We then arrive on the plateau which will take us through varied landscapes to the village of Chatillon, a few kilometres from Lake Chalain, one of the most beautiful in the Jura. Those who wish to do so can push on to the beautiful site of the Cascades du Hérisson. End of the day in Doucier, on the shores of Lake Chalain for a very pleasant swim in its turquoise waters.
Distance and altitude gain:
This morning, we leave the shores of Lake Chalain on a forest cycle track. A slight climb allows us to reach the beautiful Revermont plateau. The tranquillity of the Montbéliardes on these plateaus is communicative and we feel around us the peaceful atmosphere that emanates from this secret massif. Sometimes directly, sometimes through a small bucolic diversions, we make our way towards a major site in the region.
This afternoon, depending on the weather, we head straight for another village of character and the highlight of our stage: Château-Chalon. Or we play a little more roller coaster in the remote village of Ladoye-sur-Seille to get there. A real little gem of a winegrower, standing sentinel on the edge of the Revermont, it is the "lighthouse" of the vineyard and has given its name to one of the best crus in the world.
Distance and altitude gain:
Gastronomy...let's stay there! The Jura has nothing to envy to its neighbours in Bresse or Burgundy... Today, we will ride through the vineyards of Château-Chalon to reach the no less famous vineyards of Arbois. The treasure of this vineyard, vin Jaune, which many neophytes confuse with vin de paille (another typical beverage of the region) is without doubt one of the most controversial wines among wine lovers. A few more turns of the wheel and we arrive at the end of our stage, in Arbois. The city of Jura wines and Pasteur is a lively town: the yellow-ochre stone of the old town is an invitation to stroll around, which we like to extend at the tables of the gastronomic restaurants!
Distance and altitude gain:
This morning we turn our wheels towards the reculée des Planches, above Arbois. Reculées, waterfalls and caves are the natural jewels of this region of the Jura. A geological peculiarity of the Jura, the reculées are narrow and deep valleys bordered by cliffs and high steep walls that end in a cul de sac. Then our cycling tour continues under the sign of water, but not just any water! Salt water! The Grande Saline de Salins-les-Bains, a listed historic monument, is on UNESCO's World Heritage list, as an extension of the Saline Royale d'Arc-et-Senans, our stage of the day. A unique site in Europe, it tells the story of an industrial, economic and political adventure, but above all a human one. Powerful and unsettling, the atmosphere of the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans is undeniably unique and does not leave anyone indifferent who enters its walls for the first time...
Distance and altitude gain:
Back to nature for this great day of cycling, the most sportive of the week. We enter the country of Gustave Courbet and reach his birthplace, Ornans. Little Venice of the Comte, with its houses over the water, its private mansions, its bridges, which give it an exceptional cachet, it will welcome us for our last evening.
Perhaps we will be lucky enough to find in the middle of this generous nature, the famous "Escarboucle de la Vouivre"... a woman who is half snake, who deposits this jewel on the water's edge every night when she goes to drink or bathe. It is said that whoever takes it will be rich and happy forever...
Distance and altitude gain:
After yesterday's great day, everyone will be able to relax the pedals to finish this trip gently. We gradually leave this beautiful Jura massif on a cycle track from Ornans. We cross a final hilly plateau to descend to the city of Besançon, the capital of the Comtois. As always, the urbanization surprises us, after having spent 5 days in an omnipresent nature, we are back in town. But Besançon is not lacking in charm, especially thanks to its fortified citadel built by Vauban, which is well worth a visit. It is now time to get on the train to our starting point.
Distance and altitude gain:
Itinerary end : The trip ends in Besançon at 2-3pm. On demand we can book for you one supplementary night in Besançon.
The given length (Km) and altitude difference (m) are given as reference and can slightly change depending on unpredictable local conditions
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