Loop 1: Views of the Doubs

The river Doubs is linked to Dole. A passageway, a source of life, the river tells the story of a thousand episodes of Pasteur's birthplace, which in the 16th century was the capital of the County.
Dole, a town of Art and History, can be heard and learned from the narrow streets. For five centuries, the collegiate church has stood on its mound, silently observing the Doubs as it flows by its ramparts. This is where the adventure begins... Direction the Rhone-Rhine canal, built in the 19th century for the passage of barges. Today, the banks are home to the Eurovéloroute6 which links Nantes to Budapest. A paradise for families, the route passes through the villages of Brevans and Baverans and reaches Rochefort-sur-Nenon on a 3.5km stretch labelled "tourism and disabilities".
A fortified village overlooked by impressive cliffs which dominate the whole valley (walk to the top of the Roches), Rochefort-sur-Nenon has turned to river tourism. On the other side of the river, another world begins. On the edge of the immense state forest of Chaux, the second largest in France, the five hundred year old oak tree in the village of Falletans hides a statue of the Virgin in its heart and reminds us that the forest reigns here without sharing. A stop at the Sentier de la Corne des Epissiers, an ornithological site, can be the occasion for a walk, unless you prefer the mysterious story of the Bons Cousins Charbonniers...