Nicknamed the little Venice of France-Comté, the town of Ornans is very charming with its beautiful old houses built on stilts reflected in the waters of the River Loue. This picturesque scene can be admired from the Grand Pont bridge and the footbridge which span the river.

To visit: the Courbet museum, located in the birth house of the painter Gustave Courbet, which exhibits numerous works by the famous artist.

Sports fans can canoe-kayak on the River Loue to their heart's content.

Renowned for its traditionally-produced kirsch, the charming village of Mouthier-Haute-Pierre, nestling in the heart of the Loue valley, enjoys a magnificent natural setting. Mouthier-Haut, with its 15th-century church and its old houses, and Mouthier-Bas, on the river's edge, are within walking distance from each other.

Surrounded by rock faces, the village is a good climbing base.

Near the village of Ouhans, a pleasant road lined with vegetation leads the walkers to magnificent rock formations. It is in this magnificent natural site, at the foot of a high cliff, that the River Loue rises as a reemergence of the River Doubs.

Capital of the Franche-Comté region, the City of Art and History of Besançon is built on a loop of the River Doubs and is dominated by the imposing silhouette of its citadel. Masterpiece by the engineer Vauban, the citadel of Besançon constitutes a remarkable example of the 17th-century military architecture. Besides its fortifications and its magnificent panoramic view of the roofs of the city and the Doubs valley, the citadel is home to many museums: the Comtois museum, the Vauban centre, the Resistance and Deportation museum, and the Natural History museum complete with zoo, evolution trail, insectarium, aquarium, noctarium and climatorium.

The visit of Besançon continues with the discovery of the historic centre situated below the citadel. The Saint-Jean cathedral and its magnificent astronomical clock made of 30,000 pieces; the very lively Grande-Rue and Revolution square; the Granvelle palace, a magnificent building of the Renaissance period today home to the Time museum dedicated to clock-making; the Vauban quays and its arcaded houses along the River Doubs; the birth house of the famous writer Victor Hugo, and the beautiful mansions of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries are some of the many places of interest to be discovered on a walk round the town.

Not to be missed also, the Fine art and Archaeology museum, situated on the Revolution square in a former 19th-century corn exchange which houses archaeology and art collections.

Boasting numerous green spaces, the town of Besançon also appeals to park and garden lovers, with the botanical garden and its numerous sorts of plants, trees and flowers, and the Micaud Promenade, a pleasant three-hectare park situated along the River Doubs.

The River Lison rises in beautiful verdant surroundings in Crouzet-Migette near Nans-sous-Sainte-Anne.

Dominated by the silhouette of the Belin fort, Salins-les-Bains is a charming and pleasant spa town benefiting from a beautiful natural environment.

Open to visitors, the former saltworks, a listed building, are home to underground galleries dating from the 13th century and a hydraulic pumping system, still in service today, which enables salt water to be extracted.

In the heart of the town, the thermal baths offer medical cures and a wellbeing space.

From the surrounding hills, there's a wonderful view over the roofs of the town and the unspoiled setting.

Built in the 12th century, the Montbenoît abbey offers a beautiful example of medieval religious architecture. The abbey church, with its Romanesque nave and Flamboyant Gothic chancel, boasts magnificent carved oak stalls dating from 1527. A 15th-century cloister adjoining the church can be also admired.

Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 09:30 AM – 12:30 AM, 02:00 PM – 05:00 PM
Wednesday: 09:30 AM – 12:30 AM, 02:00 PM – 05:00 PM
Thursday: Closed
Friday: Closed
Saturday: Closed
Sunday: Closed

Overlooking the valley linking France to Switzerland (the Cluse de Pontarlier), Joux castle – with its keep, towers, drawbridges, surrounding walls and fort – offers fantastic evidence of the way fortifications have developed over the years. Built in the 11th century, then modified by Vauban in the 17th century, visitors will discover 10 centuries of history there.

The Old Weapons museum, located in the ancient keep of the castle, exhibits over 650 items!

Perched on the edge of a high cliff, the Roche du Prêtre viewpoint in Consolation-Maisonnettes, offers a magnificent panoramic view of the green landscapes of the Consolation rock formations. Renowned for its former convent, this wild place rich in fauna and flora, is home to a number of caves, springs and waterfalls. Not to be missed: the big waterfall of Lançot, a magnificent 47-metres high waterfall! And there's no better way to discover the area's treasures than walking along the waymarked footpaths.

Situated in the northeast of Champagnole, the Joux forest extends over 2,660 hectares. It is one of the most beautiful fir plantations in France. Some of its firs reach a height of more than 40 metres. According to the tradition, the most remarkable firs are elected president. The current president fir, is more than two centuries old and measures 45 metres high for a 1.20 metre diameter!

A signposted tourist trail and numerous footpaths let you discover the wonders of this forest massif.

Built from 1774 to 1779 by the architect Claude Nicolas Ledoux, the former royal saltworks of Arc-et-Senans constitutes a remarkable example of the French industrial heritage. Of Neoclassical style, this group of 11 buildings is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can look around the Guards' building, Director's building, blacksmith's workshop and cooperage. There is also a salt museum and the Claude Nicolas Ledoux museum.

398 hectares in size, the Saint-Point lake is the third biggest natural lake in France. A pleasant footpath takes you the whole way round it.

Nestling on the lakefront, the summer resort of Malbuisson offers numerous activities for holidaymakers, whether just relaxing on its purpose-built beaches (with supervised swimming in the summer), or canoeing, windsurfing and boat trips at its water sports base.

Capital of the Jura wines, the town of Arbois boasts a beautiful architectural heritage. Its houses sitting along the picturesque Cuisance river are very charming. The Saint-Just church dating from the 12th and 13th centuries boasts a 60-metre high bell tower. The latter is accessible in July and August, offering then a magnificent view of the vineyards and the roofs of the city.

Open to visitors, the Pasteur House, in which Louis Pasteur used to stay regularly, is home to personal souvenirs, objects, devices and instruments of the famous scientist.

Also not to be missed, the Vineyards and Wine museum situated in a part of the Pécauld castle, introduces visitors to the history and traditions related to wine-growing, as well as presenting the region's grape varieties and wine-making methods.

The charming hilltop village of Nozeroy has preserved lovely remains of its past, such as the Horloge gateway, the Saint-Antoine collegiate church, and the ruins of the castle.

Dedicated to alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoe hiking in the winter, the well-known Jura resort of Métabief transforms into a paradise for mountain biking fans in the summer, with its numerous dedicated trails of varying difficulty.

Near Nozeroy, a pleasant footpath takes you to the source of the River Ain. This stream originates at a 700-metre altitude in a beautiful wooded setting. The flow of this re-emergence varies greatly according to the season.

The Doubs waterfall (saut du Doubs), situated near Villers-le-Lac, is among the most renowned natural sites of the departement. It is in a beautiful wild and green environment that the River Doubs forms a 27-metre high waterfall! Two viewpoints allow to admire this magnificent waterfall, which is all the more impressive after heavy rains.

Situated across the municipalities of Remoray-Boujeons and Labergement-Sainte-Marie in the Jura massif, Remoray lake is a natural lake dating from the ice age which extends over 95 hectares. Protected by a National Nature Reserve, this site attracts over 200 bird species.

The Reserve House houses exhibitions on the fauna and flora of the Upper Doubs.

A beautiful footpath situated on the municipality of Bourg-de-Sirod, leads the walkers to a particularly wild site in which the River Ain crosses a very narrow gorge. This place is especially impressive during the rainy period when the water flow increases.