Grande Traversée du Jura by bike

Before starting out on your Grande Traversée du Jura à Vélo adventure, take the time to admire the historic City of the Princes of Wurtemberg for a few hours – Montbéliard is well worth exploring. As well as its long history, this town was the cradle of Peugeot automobiles. Visit the Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot, along with the car factory, stepping back in industrial time, discovering how the company started by making some of the earliest bicycles! Having tasted the renowned Montbéliard sausage, served with potatoes and cancoillotte (a runny cheese), you should now have the energy to tackle the route through the Jura Mountains!

Saint-Hippolyte, designated a Petite Cité Comtoise de Caractère, is a delightful village to explore before a new burst of effort. The GTJ à Vélo takes you climbing to a plateau, soon rewarding you with magnificent landscapes. From here, ride on easily to the Franco-Swiss village of Goumois, renowned for fly fishing. Get off your bike for a moment to admire the Doubs River. Then cycle through its unspoilt gorges, a place where 18th-century philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau used to come to collect the varied plants, some rare, that thrive here.

The River Doubs is 453km long in total. Acting as part of the Franco-Swiss border, it has given its name to a whole département (French county), through which much of it runs. Its source is at Mouthe, along this stage of the GTJ à Vélo. The climb to get out of Goumois is steep, but the reward is grand views. Then enjoy a lovely cycling outing through bucolic parts, before you end up passing close to the Saut du Doubs, a splendid 27m-high waterfall worth going to see!

All along this stage of the Grande Traversée du Jura à Vélo, admire the architectural heritage of the Haut-Doubs, the mountainous part of the county of Doubs, including magnificent old Comtois farms. These were built around a convivial central room with a big fireplace known as a ‘tuyé’; charcuterie such as Morteau sausages, bacon and hams were hung, smoked and preserved here. Cycle on to Montbenoît Abbey to find silence for meditation before entering the town of Pontarlier via the Porte Saint-Pierre (St Peter’s Gate), a decorative 18th-century triumphal-style arch.

Leaving Pontarlier, the Fort de Joux, perched high on its rocky outcrop, looks down on your progress for several kilometres. Then the scene changes, providing amazing views over Saint Point Lake. This is a stage of the GTJ à Vélo offering landscapes that are as varied as they are beautiful. Continue to the foot of Mont d'Or, culminating at 1,463m. It is possible to follow an alternative route up towards its summit; you have to leave your bike to tackle the final few kilometres on foot, taking in exceptionally grand views across to the Alps.

After the calm River Doubs, you now cycle beside livelier rivers. Limestone, the main component in Jurassic geology, is easily eroded by water. In fact, this distinctive hydrological characteristic means there are as many subterranean rivers around here as on the surface! Do go and see the source of the Saine, and we recommend a return trip to and from its gorges using the Tram'Jurassienne à Vélo, to appreciate its beautiful landscapes.

Saint Laurent en Grandvaux is in the area known as the Pays des Rouliers, after the 19th-century travelling salesmen who headed off, loaded with local specialities to sell, returning with merchandise brought from beyond for sale. Riding along this stage of the GTJ à Vélo, imagine them on their journey beside the very beautiful Lac de l'Abbaye, up to Morez, which bears witness to the flourishing metal works that grew up here and remain renowned for the manufacturing of high-quality spectacles.

A stage of the Grande Traversée du Jura à Vélo offering varied landscapes, with high combes, which you can cycle through gently, going up to the undulating crests of the Monts Jura. It’s all a treat for the eyes, but quite a work-out for the legs!
As you’re crossing through a large part of the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Jura, remember to stop at the Maison du Parc at Lajoux. The Park covers 160,000 hectares and 111 parishes, all of which have signed the charter pledging to work for sustainable development in the Haut-Jura area.

At the stopover town of Mijoux, you enter the département, or French county, of the Ain, but you remain in the Jura Range, notably riding along the Vallée de la Valserine. In this beautiful, steep-sided valley, the cycle route follows the river, wending its way below the Jura’s crests. Between Lancrans and Bellegarde, the riverbanks are exceptionally beautiful, and we recommend a detour to appreciate them and the Pertes de Valserine (a dramatic geological fault).
For the more sporty, you can also enjoy the challenge of the climbs to the Col de la Faucille and/or to the Col de Menthières.

Leaving Bellegarde, you enter the Haut-Bugey area via the Plateau de Retord; overlooking the Rhône Valley from 800m in altitude, you need to climb its slopes to appreciate its wild landscapes to the full. These lands were used for their summer pastures in times past, but today, farmers have diversified here, cattle staying longer, wood being grown to sell, and outdoor sports being encouraged.

The final stage of the Grande Traversée du Jura à Vélo allows you to enjoy cycling downhill in the main. There are natural curiosities to see along the way, notably the Adoue Fountain and the Thurignin Gorges, where water has polished the rocks and then races around in the natural passageways it’s created. This stage also offers you the chance to tackle an unforgettable alternative route, the climb up the legendary Grand Colombier! This magical mountain makes cyclists tremble through fear and excitement!