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Tour of the Bresse Comtoise (Jura) |
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Starting from Toulouse-le-Château, this loop reveals a lesser-known side of the Jura region, where the terrain softens to reveal a mosaic of woods and ponds. The trail first passes through Saint-Lothain, rich in a thousand-year-old heritage linked to its Romanesque church, before winding its way through vineyards and orchards towards Passenans. Venturing into the Bresse plain, hikers discover the traditional half-timbered houses of Chardonnay and Chaumergy. The route follows the wetlands and hedged meadows around Biefmorin and Oussières, true havens for a discreet and wild birdlife. Heading back up through Montholier and Brainans, the landscape transforms into an alternation of oak forests and fertile farmland, typical of the lower Jura region. The villages of Bersaillin and Monay, with their castles and old stones, bear witness to a rural nobility firmly rooted in regional history.
Bresse Comtoise, a hidden gem of the Jura department, unfolds its landscapes of hedged fields and forests between the Doubs River and the first foothills of the Jura Mountains. This region is distinguished by its unique rural architecture: its farmhouses with Saracen-style chimneys, their brick finials sculpted into the roof, bear witness to an ancestral know-how linked to the central hearth. Nature here is remarkably gentle, punctuated by a multitude of ponds and wet meadows where migratory birds and the famous Bresse chicken thrive. The historical heritage is embodied in charming villages like Bletterans and Chaumergy, where half-timbered houses and red brick tell the story of an economy tied to the land and clay. Local history is also that of a border, between the former province of Franche-Comté and the Kingdom of France.
Nearby paths:
It is advisable to follow the beacons all along your hike and to bring you the 
