Source of the Loue
Source de la Loue
The Loue River gushes out of a limestone cave more than 30 metres high, one of the most striking springs in the Jura's karst landscape.
Water rushes out of a huge cave mouth and falls in cascades. Courbet painted this scene several times. In 1901 a fire broke out at the Pernod absinthe distillery in Pontarlier, and large quantities of absinthe flowed into the Doubs, only to resurface at this spring, proving that the Loue is in fact an underground stream of the Doubs. From the car park it is about a 15-minute walk to the cave mouth, and the path is slippery. Free to visit, and open at all times. Located in Ouhans, about 20 km from Ornans, it can be combined with a visit to Lods and Mouthier-Haute-Pierre along the way.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Lods
- Château de Joux
- Gouffre de Poudrey
- Ornans & Musée Courbet
- Miroir de Scey
- Musée des Maisons Comtoises
- Chapelle des Buis & Notre-Dame de la Libération
- Citadel of Besançon