Things to see and visit

VISITS IN THE NEAR VICINITY, NOT TO BE MISSED

Springs, abysses, streams, waterfalls, caves, narrow gorges..., running water is omnipresent in the Franche-Comté.

ORNANS - 5 mn A genuine lakeside village on piles (conservation area) with its picturesque houses of corbelled construction on the River Loue and its bridges, which stretch across the river, its old hotels, which used to be the homes of the 15th and 16th Century noble families: the beautiful house where the artist, Gustave Courbet, was born, which has been made into a museum; Castle rock, which used to be the fortress of the Counts of Bourgogne, and its national house of water and fishing; this "Little Venice of the Franche-Comté" will be pleased to greet you (Guided visits).
BONNEVAUX-LE-PRIEURÉ - 5 mn The narrow valley of Brème, which leads to Bonnevaux-le-Prieuré, invites you to discover the surprising geological demonstrations of the Brème abyss, the Puits Noir and the Plaisir-Fontaine cave.
ETALANS - 10 mn 2 km from the centre, the Poudrey abyss will not fail to dazzle you with its imposing chamber, 60m high, with its magnificent stalactites and stalagmites. A "Music and Light" show restores this exceptional natural site's splendour. Nearby, in a natural environment, the prehistoric Dino-Zoo park retraces the evolution of animals from the first forms of life, 500 million years ago, up until our ancestors, who lived in the area, over a thousand years ago. And finally, in the vicinity, the glacier cave, which has a display of 5000 crystals from all over the world.
NANS-SOUS-SAINT-ANNE - 15 mn Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne is located in the heart of the huge anti-clinal echinus, which crosses the plateaux of central Jura. The cirque of karstic cliffs, which surround the town, have a highest point of almost 700m whereas the village is situated at 367 metres. This remarkable site due to the scale of its landscapes, the rhythm of its mountains and low pressures, combines in a limited space, the charm of greenery and fir trees with the austerity of rock face, raging water falls with the depths of the undergrowth, mysterious caves with picturesque belvederes. The Lison Spring, the Creux-Billard, the Sarrasine Cave, the reappearance of the river and the huge underground network of the Verneau is paradise for walkers, fishermen, climbers and pot-holers alike.
OUHANS - 20 mn Situated on a particularly hilly landscape, over four valleys, which all meet up. The most famous valley is where the Spring of the River Loue starts, springing up at an altitude of 535m, it is a reappearance of the river, as a large part of its supply comes from the River Doubs. This was only observed after the large fire at the Pontarlier Distillery, thanks to the absinth smells found in the River Loue. After its exit from the rock, in the imposing setting, immortalized by the artist Courbet, a reproduction of which has been placed in the same place that inspired the artist, the River Loue winds through the enormous valley, with the picturesque Noailles Caves forming a 250m - 300m deep canyon. The PeléMountain reaches 1045m at its highest point. Around 150,000 visitors visit the Loue Spring each year, that is to say 1,000 vehicles a day.
VILLERS-LE-LAC - 45 mn Pleasure boats moor in the port of this pretty village of amphitheatre construction, along the banks of the River Doubs, they will take you for pleasant rides on the Chaillexon Lake and the bowls of the Doubs; then after having crossed an imposing natural setting of breathtakingly high cliffs fringed with dense vegetation, will disembark you at the foot of the spectacular Doubs waterfall. This place has been classed among the fifteen most beautiful sites in France by the Minister of Environment.
LA ROUTE DES SAPINS - 20 mn 50 km long, this road links Levier to Champagnole in the Jura, through 10,000 hectares of forest. When taking this road, you will enter into the heart of one of the most beautiful coniferous forests of France. Indeed, the fir plantations of the Levier, Joux and Chapois massifs have trees of exceptional sizes, some of them are over 45 m high with diameters of between 1.20 m and 1.40 m.

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