Tour du Jura - Sport

You start at Lons-le-Saunier, the Jura’s county town as well as a thermal spa resort, known in France as the birthplace of Claude Rouget de Lisle, composer of the Marseillaise (France’s national anthem), and of the popular cheese La Vache Qui Rit, (The Laughing Cow). You soon begin climbing. Enjoy the very quiet little roads on the Premier Plateau, then La Petite Montagne, crossing the Jura’s undulating prairies, where Montbéliarde cows graze, their milk making delicious Comté cheese. Take the time to savour this beautiful pastoral stage marked by pasturelands and farms as well as valleys and rivers.

Vouglans Lake, France’s third-largest reservoir, is the highlight along this stage between La Petite Montagne and the Pays des Lacs. An artificial lake created along the Ain River and 35km in length, it nestles in a wild, unspoilt corner of Jura countryside. All along this cycling stage between Arinthod and Les Piards, you can admire the lake and its imposing dam (103m high), enjoying many fine views. Also discover the Pays du Jouet area and its little capital, Moirans-en-Montagne, heir to a centuries-old local tradition of producing toys and games in wood or plastic, Made in France.

This iconic Tour du Jura Vélo Sport stage through the heart of the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Jura leads cyclists to the climb up Septmoncel’s famed hairpin bends. Featuring repeatedly in Tour de France stages, this remarkable ascent links Saint-Claude, capital town of the Haut-Jura area, to the Jura ski resort of Les Rousses. Guiding riders through impressive limestone gorges, high-altitude forests and deep valleys known as combes, this beautiful cycling stage also provides the opportunity to learn more about Jura craft traditions in the museums at Saint-Claude, Lajoux and Lamoura.

The ski resort of Les Rousses, at c.1,200m in altitude, marks the start of this stage. Known as the “station aux 4 villages”, or “the resort with 4 villages” – Les Rousses, Bois-d’Amont, Prémanon and Lamoura – this a perfect family resort for enjoying outdoor sports, summer as well as winter. A fine descent from Prémanon takes you to the town of Morez, French capital of spectacle-making. Take the opportunity to visit the dedicated Musée de la Lunette, walk beside the Bienne River and, why not, to test out the famed Les Hirondelles train line with its impressive viaducts, bikes accepted on board!

Surely the most refreshing stage on this Jura cycling adventure! Once you’ve left the smaIl village resort of Prénovel (c.1,000m in altitude), you come to one of the Jura’s major sites, the Plateau des 4 Lacs (namely Ilay, Narlay, Grand and Le Petit Maclu). Nicknamed the Petite Écosse du Jura (or ‘‘the Jura’s Little Scotland’’), this area’s natural, traditional sides, and its patchwork of greens and blues, prove very appealing. Also admire the top of the Cascades du Hérisson, a series of waterfalls that are another must-see site, before taking a well-shaded road to the banks of the Lac de Chalain, the Jura’s largest natural lake, best viewed from the Belvédère de Fontenu (a viewing point that you can reach by bike).

This Tour du Jura Sport stage links the Premier Plateau to the thermal spa town of Lons-le-Saunier, crossing the Jura’s vineyards and two members of the association, Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, all affording wonderful views! Do visit Château-Chalon, capital of vin jaune (a strong, distinctive local white wine), standing out on its vine-surrounded promontory. This perched village is packed with architectural treasures and viewing points to enjoy. Also do try a tasting of the whole range of Vins du Jura, comprising seven types awarded AOC status! A little further on, Baume-les-Messieurs nestles at the end of an impressive limestone steephead valley. Renowned for its Cluniac abbey dating back to the 9th century, it’s surrounded by stunning natural features, including the Dard River that springs from an underground cave and then descends via a tufa limestone waterfall typical of the region.