It is first necessary to quote a famous long-distance footpath - the GR5 - which connects the Netherlands to the Mediterranean and meanders through Franche-Comté Half a dozen other footpaths along the GR network, which is surely the finest system of footpaths in Europe, branch out through the whole region. Besides national GRs, circular local routes enable trekkers to tour the district in just a few days, with short-distance paths for daytime hikes or unprepared footpaths through natural surrounds. There are ever more endless opportunities for walking and reflecting on the surroundings in total peace and quiet.
The region offers a wide array of rare ecological beauty, where exceptional flora and fauna are well-protected. Worth a mention are Champlitte in Haute-Saône, where precious orchids flower in crisp pastures; the humid surrounds of the Bresse area near the Jura - which provides the natural decor of several of Marcel Aymé's famous novels - or even the Vosges of Saône, home to the Plateau des Mille-Étangs ( Plateau of a Thousand Ponds).

The peaceful cowherd's footpath in the Haut-Doubs, a perfect family trail, invites you to discover the ancestral life of county folk, their popular culture, their habitat and also 434 (it's official!) species of local prairie flowers. There is also the well-known Ballon d'Alsace mountain, a place where many hikers' paths cross. There as well, the surroundings are very varied: peaty earth where bilberries grow, forest footpaths amongst conifers and beech trees, granite chunks and fields of heather.

If you fancy leapfrogging national borders, you can also go to Chapelle-des-Bois and join a beautiful walk between forests and lakes. There are panoramic viewpoints onto mountainous scenery and footpaths through pastures in both France and Switzerland. Trekkers are spoilt for choice from the Jura, through the southern Vosges all the way to Belfort and the Saône Valley (where the riverbanks are perfect for charming bike rides). You may like to follow the Jura ZED, an original 131 km long route which reveals unusual and secret sides to the Jura, from the Haut-Jura to the vineyard regions.

All-purpose horses

Horses are a person's best friend and they do reserve a hearty welcome for visitors to Franche-Comté. Accompanying you over the region's meandering paths and trails, they keep in step with your own pace, scaling the gentle, grassy climbs with ease.

Families will love the bohemian feel of horse-drawn caravans which provide peaceful transport both young and old, pushed on by the gentle breeze. It is second nature to these fine, local horses to lead you without hesitation from village to farm and valley to hill.

Available in Western or bohemian style, caravans are indeed a novel means of transport and are designed to ensure suitability and safety for parents and children. Frequently-organized excursions of between 2 to 15 days allow you to discover different reaches of the area. Trundling along at a pace of 10 to 15 km per day, you have all the time in the world to roam freely without the need for stress! In the evening, whether staying in a chalet, camping site or with a local family, the tradition of campfire storytelling is common.