You first catch sight of it, nestling at the bottom of a hollow, enclosed in a valley covered in vineyards. Like its neighbours Salins-les-Bains and Poligny, it is situated at the mouth of a ravine (or reculée) cut deep into the Jura plateau. This valley is closed at its head by a 240 metre high cliff. Arbois is traversed by the river Cuisance and forms part of the Revermont, since it lies at the foot of the Jura plateau, at the mouth of the Reculée des Planches where the Cuisance rises.
 

The Arbois vineyards

The Arbois wine area produces some of the best Jura wines, nobly represented by the vin jaune (yellow wine) and the vin de paille (straw wine). It is the area's main activity; the reputation of Arbois wine has become indissociable from the name of Henri Maire, who popularised it with his posters for Vin fou (mad wine) Henri Maire, seen all over France.