Tour of the Five Lakes

On the Plateau des 7 Lacs and just above the Vallée du Hérisson, both natural sites listed as Grands Sites de France, this route, which has no technical difficulties and is perfectly accessible to electric mountain bikes, is a complete change of scenery for mountain bikers who love wide open spaces and glacial lakes.

Nicknamed "Little Scotland" by the writer Charles Nodier, this area, situated at an altitude of 800 m, offers numerous hiking and mountain bike trails. This tour of the 5 lakes begins at the hamlet of La Fromagerie. Passing through the woods, the village of Le Frasnois is the first stage, and after a fine descent, the route takes you around the first of the 5 lakes: Lac de Narlay.

After crossing the D75, the 2 lakes of Petit Maclu and Grand Maclu can be admired through the trees that line their shores. On the other side of the lake, a quiet zone for wildlife must be respected from 15 April to 15 September.

Once you have passed the Maclu lakes, you come to the largest of the 5 lakes, Lac d'Ilay or Lac de la Motte, named after the island it surrounds, which was once home to a Benedictine priory dating back to the time of Charlemagne. The route then passes the Saut Girard lookout overlooking the valley of the Cascades du Hérisson, before crossing the forest and the D678 to circle the last of the five lakes: Lac de Bonlieu.

Particularly pleasant in autumn, Lac de Bonlieu is surrounded by cliffs and mountains that give it a special atmosphere. It is also a particularly popular lake with anglers. Finally, after passing through the village of Bonlieu, mountain bikers will return to the hamlet of La Fromagerie to complete this beautiful route.