Visiting Saint-Claude and Haut-Jura in summer

Saint-Claude, the Haut-Jura capital

Surrounded by forests and mountains, the town is famous for its pipe and diamond production. Both crafts are presented at the Pipe and Diamond Museum. Two mountain streams flow through the town, the Bienne and the Tacon. The hydropower produced by these rivers was harnessed to give birth to the industrial activities that built the reputation of Saint-Claude!

See the podcast about Saint-Claude pipes!

This podcast reveals why Saint-Claude became the world pipe capital and how pipes came back into fashion...

Visit to La Fraternelle Community Centre

This facility of some 4,000 m² is home to over a century's worth of heritage from the town's industrial history.

Visit the café, a pleasant place to meet people and chat, or come in the evening to attend an exhibition, a jazz concert or a session of board games.

There's also a 3-room art-house cinema, a whole section devoted to art, and guided tours retracing the local industrial past, as well as plays and dance performances. 

More about the community centre

Amazing waterfalls

Grab your best hiking shoes and head deep into the forests of Haut-Jura to discover their secret waterfalls. Time seems to stand still at these heavenly little spots where all you can hear is the melodic sound of the wind in the trees and the water gushing over the rocks.

There are several waterfalls that you can reach fairly easily on foot:

• The Flumen waterfalls are accessible via two routes of 2 km and 4 km. 
• The Abîme gorges are at the end of a single, waymarked there-and-back trail of 2.8 km.
• The Queue de Cheval waterfall can be reached after a walk of 1 to 2½ hours with an elevation gain of 60 metres.
• The Combes waterfall is just a short 400-metre walk from the car park.

Land of adventure: climbing, via-ferrata and much more

Escape to the great outdoors in the heart of the Haut-Jura Nature Park and take advantage of all the outdoor sports available: canyoning, climbing, via ferrata, potholing, mountain biking, etc.

Along the rivers, up on the rock faces, on the waymarked trails or deep in the caves, just pick your playground.

• In Saint-Claude, Eskaleo organises canyoning, climbing and via ferrata activities with professional instructors in the heart of the Haut-Jura Nature Park.
• La Boîte à Montagne in Les Rousses offers shooting, downhill scootering, enduro MTB and other activities as well as equipment rentals, but also guided canyoning or potholing excursions and much more. 
• Try the Roche au Dade Via Ferrata trail and its 70-metre zipwire!