The best Nordic sites for cross-country skiing
The Jura Mountains are a reference in the world of cross-country skiing! Check out our selection of Nordic ski areas for a memorable day: Monts Jura, the training ground of champions, Hautes Combes for the Far North atmosphere, Les Rousses for families, Haut-Doubs for the varied landscape, Val de Morteau with trails for all levels, and the Retord plateau and its wide open spaces. All you have to do is choose!
For champions
One of the best-known Nordic ski areasNo wonder it's the favourite Nordic site of local athletes and champions! This is snow heaven and it has everything you've dreamt of:
- A dream setting with exceptional panoramic views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva
- 146km of cross-country skiing trails of high quality and for all levels. This ski area has even been certified as a "site of excellence"!
- Specific faciilities for Nordic skiers: changing rooms, showers and a picnic room
- A Nordic site that's very easy to reach from Geneva Airport or by TGV high-speed train
- And there are activities for non-skiers too: snowshoeing, sledging, or simply hiking on the footpaths
Other assets that might help you forget the Alps or the Pyrenees.
For explorers
Our own little Far NorthBring out the adventurer in you by exploring Hautes-Combes on snowshoes or cross-country skis!
These high valleys are typical of the Jura mountains. Imagine the gently-rolling mid-mountain contours, dotted here and there with authentic picturesque villages.
When the setting is silenced by a thick layer of white, you'll feast your eyes on a Jack London-style snowscape where the air has a scent of freedom and adventure.
For families
In the heart of a family resortAt the resort of Les Rousses, you can pass from one activity to another and never get bored.
Fancy having your first go at Nordic skiing? But want to please your teenagers who are mad on Alpine skiing? And what about keeping the children happy? Opt for this resort, the one with 4 villages.
With cross-country skiing trails for all levels, snowshoe trails, dog sled rides, sledging slopes, biathlon for beginners and Alpine skiing, Les Rousses boasts a whole host of activities, all in an unspoilt natural setting. Have we convinced you?
For nature lovers
Lakes, forests and summitsOnce the snow arrives, Upper Doubs becomes an immense Nordic ski area.
Explore along more than 500km of groomed and waymarked cross-country skiing trails, or try going off-piste! Either way, you'll slalom through forests, across plateaus and past Comté farms.
Your cross-country skiing or snowshoeing excursion is a chance to discover other marvels such as the view of the Alps from the Mont d’Or summit, or the natural blue-tinged immensity of Saint Point Lake, which freezes over when the weather is cold enough.
For beginners and experts alike
Gateway to the Nordic realmLocated in the very north of the massif, the Morteau Valley is the gateway to the realm of Nordic skiers, a gateway that's open to everyone, from beginners to experts.
This is also the starting point of the Grande Traversée du Jura trail. Equipped with snowshoes or cross-country skis, the most seasoned athletes will follow this legendary itinerary that crosses the entire Jura massif from north to south.
Meanwhile, beginners can take to the green and blue trails to try the skate-skiing or diagonal-stride technique, with the added bonus of being able to ski across the Swiss border. For a change of scene, Switzerland has never been closer.
For nomads in search of wide open spaces
Little LaplandPerched high above the River Rhône, the infinite expanses of the Retord plateau light up the sky. Escape to your heart's content across the vast exposed valleys or into the silence of the spruce forest.
Reflect on the world as you gaze at the panoramic views… When the top of Mont Blanc emerges from the horizon, stop and savour the magic of the moment… You'll be back for other long-distance excursions in this snowy oasis between Le Poizat-Lalleyriat and Les Plans d’Hotonnes, the home of biathlon champions.
