Poligny / Lons-le-Saunier (Perrigny)

From Poligny, embark on the last stage of La P’tite GTJ cycle route, riding via Perrigny to reach Lons-le-Saunier, thus completing the entire circuit of this week-long cycling adventure. Ride on through Jura vineyards, via typical villages such as Saint-Lothain, Ménétrux-le-Vignoble and Voiteur, plus that architectural gem, Château-Châlon, this last’s parish also the cradle of the region’s most famous wine, Vin Jaune. Château-Chalon forms part of the association Les Plus Beaux Villages de France. Perched on the edge of cliffs, in one direction it looks onto vineyards, in the other, onto typical Jura steephead valleys. With so many attractions, including a rich cultural and culinary heritage as well as its magnificent vineyards and valley ends, the place proves enchanting. Baume-les-Messieurs, another exceptional classified village, this one nestling at the base of a steephead valley, is also well worth exploring, including to admire its waterfall, before you head on by bike to Perrigny and the end of this cycling adventure.

The Route

This stage is along quiet roads shared with just a little motorized traffic for the most part. Still, do take care between Voiteur and Baume-les-Messieurs, a stretch that can prove busier at certain times of day.
At time of writing, following a landslip, the way to access the village of Château-Chalon is longer than normal, as you’ll need to go via Voiteur to reach Château-Chalon. 

Practical information

Services available: shops; cafés/restaurants; pharmacies

Don't miss

• Poligny: St Hippolyte collegiate church; Maison du Comté (a centre dedicated to the great regional cheese); the historic apothecary                
• Château-Chalon: both the historic village and the vines of Château-Chalon
• Baume-les-Messieurs: the historic abbey (briefly declared imperial by Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa); the natural, cliff-fringed cirque (a dramatic geological depression in the form of an amphitheatre); the tufa limestone waterfall; the natural caves
• Lons-le-Saunier: Maison de la Vache qui Rit (on Laughing Cow cheese, produced here); the Tour de l’Horloge clocktower