The Great Jura Trail

It is a trail which chases the Doubs river, meanders down slopes and straddles summits as high as 1,461 metres, including the Crêt du Nû at 1,351 metres high.

It flows into valleys, leaps over gaps and glides through great spruce forests to touch the banks of many a lake. It is a mythical route indeed for all avid lovers of trekking or for beginners who are looking to start out on the right foot.

The Great Jura Trail or GTJ follows prepared footpaths, with simple shelters or picturesque alpine lodges offering rest stops along the way, often located in large farms typical of the Franche-Comté region. Of course, it's not everyone's cup of tea to launch into 380 km of trails at the first go.

But it is easy to follow it some of the way and to spend time to take in this extraordinary country, one of the best conserved natural regions in Europe. In just a few hours or a few kilometres, you can get a good feel for these unspoilt natural surrounds or cover the entire route in ten or more days. Because the Great Jura Trail is open all seasons and approachable in different ways: on foot, by cycle or mountain bike, snowshoe, or Nordic skis.

The trail is well-known as a Nordic trail, being without doubt France's longest cross-country skiing route at 170 km end-to-end. The majority of the route runs through the Haut-Doubs area, through the Nordic skiing locations of Morteau, Pontarlier or the Mont d'Or mountain. The track follows ice-covered summits and explores forests of crystal but does not abandon skiers to the wilderness, since it also crosses numerous villages.

The Grande Traversée of the Jura Mountains by Bike