The Haut-Doubs will surprise you with its rich heritage and deep-rooted flavours.
This gourmet trail is a feast for the senses — full of colour, character, and unforgettable tastes. Along the way, you’ll discover a wealth of local delicacies and tasting stops. The route leads you through Pontarlier’s distilleries, traditional cheese dairies and maturing cellars, as well as more unusual spots like Fort Saint-Antoine and the iconic tuyés, where time-honoured smoking techniques give cured meats their distinctive flavour.
👍 The region’s cheese-making excellence: Comté, Morbier, Mont d’Or... and other delicious treasures crafted from local tradition.
👍 Another world-famous star: absinthe, distilled in Pontarlier using centuries-old expertise.
👍 Local restaurants will make your mouth water with hearty Jura and Franche-Comté recipes.
👍 Charming towns and characterful stops along the way, including Morteau, Salins-les-Bains and Pontarlier.
👍 The Haut-Doubs invites you to enjoy the great outdoors — by foot or by bike along the Cheese Route.
Comté is the undisputed king of cheeses — truly deserving of its cathedral.
Visiting Fort Saint-Antoine is a grand experience. Deep within the underground galleries of this former military fortress, a million wheels of exceptional Comté patiently mature in perfect conditions. This is the home of Marcel Petite, one of the most renowned Comté producers. An unforgettable visit awaits.
Morbier, the other star of the region, is deeply linked to the history of Comté. This raw milk cheese has a unique story: in winter, farmers who didn’t have enough milk to make large wheels of Comté would curdle the morning’s milk, covering it with ash for protection, before adding the curd from the evening milking.
To discover the full story behind its production, visit the Suchaux cheese dairy, where Comté, Morbier, and raclette are crafted and aged.
Fruitière des Suchaux
Another cherished tradition, Mont d’Or, a mountain cheese wrapped in a wooden belt, is enjoyed cold or warm, right in its box — but only between September 10th and May 10th!
The Mont d’Or Cheese Dairy offers free guided tours every day, a perfect chance to enjoy a great moment and bring home the region’s finest products: Comté, Morbier, Mont d’Or, raclette, Metsi, P’tit Sancey, Tomme du Mont d’Or, natural yogurts, fresh cheese, cream, and butter…
Fromagerie du Mont d'Or
Meat drying and smoking are among the Jura region’s proudest traditions, kept alive thanks to the abundant forests that dot the landscape. The Morteau sausage is undoubtedly one of the most famous products.
Come and discover its unique flavour by visiting Salaisons Bouhéret, a family-run artisanal company specialising in these renowned sausages and other smoked regional delicacies.
Salaisons Bouhéret
Step inside one of the most impressive tuyés in the Haut-Doubs to breathe in the famous smoky aroma. You’ll explore the drying room where Cendrée, Morteau sausages, ham, and more are smoked. Awaken your taste buds with a tasting in this unique setting — and take home unforgettable memories.
Tuyé du Papy Gaby
It’s a large traditional chimney found in farms across the Haut-Doubs and more broadly in the Jura Mountains. Its main purpose is to smoke cured meats.
This vast chimney usually stands at the heart of the farm, with a high opening that allows smoke to escape slowly. Meats are hung on long poles inside, soaking up the flavour of the resinous wood used for smoking.
It’s a symbol of local heritage, and some tuyés are open to visitors eager to discover this ancestral craft!
The distilleries of Pontarlier hold a genuine expertise in crafting this spirit, made by macerating and distilling a blend of Jura herbs and plants.
The Bourgeois Distillery offers an enchanting immersion into the world of absinthe. After touring the gardens, where the distiller will introduce you to the various absinthe varieties, you’ll learn how the still works. Following a tasting of the famous absinthe, you can browse the distillery’s shop.
Distillerie Bourgeois
Absinthe lovers have nicknamed it the "Pont," short for Anis Pontarlier. The Guy Distillery is one of the oldest artisanal distilleries in Pontarlier. On site, you’ll discover copper stills where absinthe and anis are still distilled today. At the end of the visit, you’re invited to taste the creations of this Living Heritage Company: aperitifs, liqueurs, and eaux-de-vie.
Distillerie Pierre Guy
The Les Fils d’Émile Pernot Distillery is located at the foot of the Château de Joux, in Pontarlier, the world capital of absinthe. A specialist in absinthe, the distillery welcomes you in a unique setting to immerse yourself in the Haut-Doubs terroir. The guided tour lets you discover absinthe and its history, culminating in a tasting.
Château de Joux
A warm setting with a dining room overlooking the garden and sincere, heartfelt cuisine. After working with some of France’s top chefs, Chef Marc Faivre has made his gourmet restaurant a benchmark, honoured with a Michelin star.
Le Bon Accueil offers product-driven cooking focused on local, seasonal ingredients: Morteau sausage, vin jaune, Comté, absinthe, and morel mushrooms add character and charm to these exquisite plates.
Discover the incomparable, unique recipe for Comtoise fondue made with the famous Comté cheese and white wine from the Jura.
In the Jura and Doubs, discover six local loops and two major cycling routes that cross vast natural spaces, lush forests, waterfalls, and rivers — as well as cheese fruitières, creameries, and other aging caves.
Set off to discover the meadows where Montbéliarde cows thrive. Along your route, enjoy stops at the best gourmet tables and addresses, and visit traditional farms, fruitières, and aging caves of the king of cheeses. The Comté Routes wind through the Jura mountains — consult and download the maps.
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