Loop 7: Lajoux-les Molunes

A short family loop of 21km, accessible to all, in the cradle of the Haut-Jura Regional Natural Park, to discover the Hautes Combes, at the foot of the Monts-Jura.
Since 2004, Lajoux has been home to the Maison du Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Jura, a veritable anthill that watches over a territory of 178,000 hectares, 122 communes spread over three departments (Ain, Jura, Doubs) and two regions (Rhône-Alpes, Franche-Comté). Lajoux is also one of the high places for ski touring, a sector that is both rural and touristy. The circuit lazes between the valleys where typical old farms are lined with "tavaillons" (wooden slats placed on the gable most exposed to the weather). Vast stretches of short grass, biefs (streams), spruce forests, herds of Montbéliardes and an incredible view of the Monts-Jura range within reach. This sector of the Hautes Combes is in fact a small roof of the world dominating on one side the Valserine valley and on the other the Tacon valley. The road passes within a stone's throw of Les Molunes, the highest village in Franche-Comté at 1,270m, and Les Moussières, the birthplace of Bleu du Haut-Jura, the local AOC cheese. The road returns quietly to Lajoux via the Manon.