Sur la Voie Bleue en arrivant à Saint-Jean-de-Losne
Guillaume Robert Famy
Bateau et vélo sur le port de Gray-sur-Saône
Guillaume Robert Famy
La citadelle de Besançon
CRT Bourgogne-Franche-Comté - Denis-BRINGARD

Boucle vélo entre Doubs et Saône

315 km au fil du temps et de l'eau

Besançon, capitale du temps du fait de sa tradition horlogère, est prédisposée comme le point de départ de ce grand tour à vélo entre Saône et Doubs.

Cap sur la charmante Vesoul, où il faudra fournir un effort à travers les collines boisées pour rejoindre la préfecture de la Haute-Saône mis sur le devant de la scène par la chanson éponyme de Jacques Brel. La trace du Courlis et le Chemin vert sont d'agréables voies vertes aux abords de la ville qui permettent de rejoindre le fil de la Saône. Vous descendez son cours au rythme des bateaux voguant sur ce cocon de nature. Les belles cités bourguignonnes surgissent au détour des méandres, et sont des haltes sympathiques au bord de l'eau. On laisse la Saône pour revenir sur le Doubs et ses belles courbes. Un parcours bucolique en pleine nature et sans difficulté vous attend jusqu'à Besançon et sa citadelle érigée tel un phare. Telle la trotteuse de l'horloge, la boucle est bouclée.

Studio Gamelon

T'as voulu rouler vers Vesoul !

Impossible que la célèbre chanson de Jacques Brel ne raisonne pas dans votre tête durant cette traversée champêtre entre Doubs et Saône. Le parcours, avec du dénivelé, s'élève au dessus du Doubs et offre de beaux points de vues avant de traverser des collines boisées. À Loulans-Verchamp, on retrouve la voie verte très roulante du Chemin vert qui se faufile entre les collines dans un écrin de verdure des plus apaisants. Au pied de la colline de la Motte, voici Vesoul, ville discrète et charmante où on se sent tout de suite bien. Une pause fraîcheur s'impose sur le plan d’eau de Vaivre avant de rejoindre les rives de Saône et l'itinéraire de La Voie Bleue.

Guillaume Robert Famy

La Saône au fil des cités de caractères

L'aventure se poursuit sur une Saône sauvage où vous croisez la route de pêcheurs et bateaux de plaisance. L'itinéraire épouse les courbes de la rivière qui sont parfois coupées pour le passage des bateaux, comme en témoigne le tunnel St-Albin et ses 681m creusés sous la colline. Au détour des méandres les petites cités bourguignonnes font leurs apparitions : Rupt-sur-Saône et son donjon, Ray-sur-Saône et son château perché au-dessus de la rivière, Gray et son port fluvial ou encore Auxonne ceinturée de ses fortifications Vauban.

Doubs en douceur

Vous remontez le fil du Doubs qui serpente entre ses collines boisées et ses rives rocheuses. Cette section spectaculaire de l'EuroVelo 6 est un beau moment de sérénité ; ponctué de cités historiques et de vestiges du passé industriel de la vallée jusqu'à la première moitié du XXe siècle.

Panorama depuis la Citadelle de Besançon
Djdjip, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50480330

Coucher de soleil en haut de la Citadelle de Besançon

Des kilomètres de murailles, des tenailles, des guérites, des courtines, des tours… Classée au patrimoine mondial de l’Unesco depuis juillet 2008, au titre des fortifications de Vauban, cette forteresse remarquablement restaurée est l’endroit où tout se passe à Besançon. Une belle récompense vous attend au sommet en fin de journée. La ville mérite de s'y attarder : Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation, Musée Comtois, Espace Vauban, jardin zoologique… Il y en a pour tous les goûts !

Tailor-made itineraries

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Tailor-made itineraries

Besançon / Ranchot

5 Besançon / Ranchot

36 km
2 h 24 min
I begin
Leave behind Besançon, crowned by its citadel (part of a Vauban UNESCO World Heritage Site), riding westwards on a greenway that meanders along with the Doubs River. The Doubs Valley’s sides remain very steep, the natural amphitheatres of greenery dominated by forts that controlled the way in times past. Now, just river boats and the odd cry of a bird of prey break the silence. Midway along this stage, the Canal de Monsieur Tunnel, also known as the Percée de Thoraise, avoids a 4km-long meander for both boats and cyclists, but the latter do need to tackle a testing climb of some 100m! At Ranchot, a cycle trail called the Voie des Salines leads off through Jura woods to Arc-et-Senans, where you can visit the staggering Ancien Régime saltworks, the Saline Royale, a UNESCO World Heritage Site adding great interest to the longer version of this stage.
Ranchot / Dole

6 Ranchot / Dole

21 km
1 h 25 min
I begin
For those cyclists who don’t opt to take the Voie des Salines, the Ranchot to Dole stage is the shortest on this cycle route! From Osselle, with its outdoor leisure centre, the banks of the Doubs are broad and flat. Just the sound of grey herons flying off may disturb the peace. After taking in the lovely old fortified village of Rochefort-sur-Nenon, as you approach Dole, historic capital of the French county (département) of Jura as well as the wider former Franche-Comté Region, the cliffs against which the town was built come into view. In the centre, seek out the birthplace of Louis Pasteur, immersing you in the life of the great 19th-century scientist. Dole is best explored on foot, so park up your bike to wander around it.
Dole / Losne

7 Dole / Losne

25 km
1 h 38 min
Enchanting little river ports, locks and barges are dotted along this, a stage on which time seems almost to stand still. Ride out of the attractive town of Dole via the Canal du Rhône au Rhin. On this lovely stretch of the EuroVelo 6 cycle route, you gradually leave the Doubs Valley behind. You’ll find plenty of shade and places to pause for a picnic, watching the barges to-ing and fro-ing between the Canal du Rhône au Rhin and the Saône River. All the way along, take in the green landscapes, the boating and the anglers. Epitomizing this stage is Saint-Jean-de-Losne, known as European capital of river boating, and boasting a dedicated museum, the Musée de la Batellerie.
Auxonne / Saint-Jean-de-Losne

14 Auxonne / Saint-Jean-de-Losne

26 km
1 h 43 min
La Voie Bleue cycle route leaves Auxonne’s fortifications behind, taking you via quiet little roads through the Burgundy countryside. You now encounter the EuroVelo 6 cycle route, and the Canal du Rhône au Rhin, which leads you gently back to the banks of the Saône. Following the east bank, as you come up to St-Jean-de-Losne, you get a wonderful view onto this port with its fine riverside quays. This makes for an unmissable stop along the route.
Pontailler-sur-Saône / Auxonne

13 Pontailler-sur-Saône / Auxonne

24 km
1 h 36 min
I begin
Leaving Pontailler-sur-Saône, this La Voie Bleue stage alternates between the banks of the Saône and small country roads. Enjoy a stop at Vielverge or Soissons-sur-Nacey to discover the local flora and fauna. After Flammerans, the route rejoins the banks of the Saône. Revel in the majestic arrival at the port of Auxonne, surrounded by fortifications designed by Louis XIV’s great military engineer, Vauban, and looking onto the Saône.
Gray / Pontailler-sur-Saône

12 Gray / Pontailler-sur-Saône

33 km
2 h 10 min
You leave Gray and its history-packed quays via a towpath hugging the Saône. The way is then dotted with very appealing river ports. La Voie Bleue continues into the Burgundian département (or French county) of Côte-d’Or, passing fishermen’s cottages and slipways for launching boats, recalling how well used the river has been through time. The Château de Talmay and its impressive keep dominate their village. The final stretch of this stage is entirely along a towpath leading to Pontailler-sur-Saône, with its many shops and activities on offer.
Ray-sur-Saône / Gray

11 Ray-sur-Saône / Gray

35 km
2 h 19 min
I begin
Leaving behind the grounds of the Château de Ray-sur-Saône, La Voie Bleue cycle route descends rapidly to a stretch of the Saône Valley set in pretty surrounds marked by farmland, woods and hills. Enjoy contemplating the steady flow of boats negotiating the Savoyeux Tunnel. Keen on a swim? Head for the sandy beach at Autet, with lifeguards on duty. The river port at the town of Gray is striking, its extensive stone quays reflecting the intense trading activity that went on here down the centuries. Fortunes were made and beautiful houses built on both banks of the river, giving Gray a remarkable architectural heritage.
Port-sur-Saône / Ray-sur-Saône

10 Port-sur-Saône / Ray-sur-Saône

33 km
2 h 10 min
I begin
From Port-sur-Saône, La Voie Bleue cycle route heads off along unspoilt meanders in the Saône, in the direction of Ray-sur-Saône, a pretty village designated a Cité de Caractère Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Scey-sur-Saône, along with its islands, makes for a restful stop, close to the St-Albin Tunnel, 681m in length, dug in the mid-19th century under Napoleon III’s reign. Rupt-sur-Saône’s keep and the château at Ray-sur-Saône are unmissable sights marking your route. The river port at Ray-sur-Saône can offer all the comforts for a well-deserved rest beneath the elegant castle dominating the Saône Valley from its rocky promontory.
Chemilly / Loulans-Verchamp

1 Chemilly / Loulans-Verchamp

45 km
2 h 57 min
I begin
At the level of Chemilly, south of Port-sur-Saône, following La Moselle-Saône à Vélo, the Trace du Courlis takes you along the Durgeon Valley to Vesoul. The route is particularly lovely, along a greenway much appreciated by locals. The surroundings are bucolic, while the rather winding track means you never get bored. After Vesoul, a very smooth greenway called Le Chemin Vert leads you between hills through a very relaxing wooded setting. You may feel more than a twinge of regret having to leave this very beautiful stretch at the level of Loulans-Verchamp.

Loulans-Verchamp / Roulans

2 Loulans-Verchamp / Roulans

23 km
1 h 26 min
I cycle a lot
You have to crank it up after leaving Le Chemin Vert, but rewards include views of the imposing Château de la Roche standing out in the distance. Along this stage, you need to stay in full control of your bike. The route takes you through woods and hills, with sudden ascents followed by vertiginous descents. Enjoy a bit of respite arriving in the Ognon Valley before getting back to more tortuous parts. Once you’ve got over the Mont Devin, you pass into the Doubs Valley and your thighs will appreciate reaching the EuroVelo 6 route to be able to relax after such a strenuous stage.

Baume-les-Dames / Besançon

4 Baume-les-Dames / Besançon

34 km
2 h 16 min
I begin
This is one of the most beautiful stages along EuroVelo 6, the way between Baume-les-Dames and Deluz bristling with wooded hills. The Doubs River meanders along, with family homes and huts lining its banks, very popular with locals on sunny days. The natural peace is only broken by the whistle of trains approaching tunnels along their route. Drawing closer to Besançon, the cycle route is dotted with vestiges of once-flourishing industries that brought noisy life to the valley until the first half of the 20th century. One final bend, then the city of Besançon comes into view, beautifully located in a great meander in the river. The town is crowned by a citadel designed by Louis XIV’s great military engineer Vauban, and part of a UNESCO Vauban World Heritage Site.