Lons-le-Saunier & Jura Valleys
Gateway town to the Jura wine country, with the Baume-les-Messieurs blind valley, Château-Chalon and the Hérisson Falls all nearby.
Lons-le-Saunier is the prefecture of the Jura department in eastern France, located where the western foothills of the Jura Mountains meet the Bresse plain. The town takes its name from the salt springs exploited since ancient times, and it is the hometown of Rouget de Lisle, composer of the “Marseillaise,” and the home of the La Vache qui rit cheese brand.
The town itself is not large: its arcaded old streets and the La Vache qui rit house can be explored in half a day. The real appeal lies in the surroundings. Twenty minutes to the northeast, Baume-les-Messieurs is an abbey village in a “blind valley” landscape with caves, and Château-Chalon is a hilltop village on a cliff known for its yellow wine. About 40 minutes east, you enter the Jura plateau lake district, where the Hérisson Falls, the Belvédère des Quatre Lacs, Lac de Chalain and the Langouette Gorge can be combined into a day trip. Southward, Lake Vouglans lies in a gorge, and to the north, Poligny is the capital of Comté cheese.
The climate is semi-continental. June–September is best for hiking, swimming and waterfall viewing, and spring snowmelt brings the greatest water flow. September–October is grape harvest season, and the Vin Jaune festival, held on a rotating basis among the villages, takes place in early February. Winter snow on the plateau closes some trails.
Getting there: from Paris, take the TGV via Dijon or change at Bourg-en-Bresse, about 3.5 hours in total. From Geneva Airport, driving takes about 1.5 hours. Public transport to the surrounding sights is very limited, so driving is strongly recommended. Plan 2–3 days. Arbois and the Salins-les-Bains saltworks, both in the northern Besançon destination, are only 30–40 minutes away from here.
Top sights
- Baume-les-Messieurs Abbey & Village – A thousand-year-old Benedictine abbey and stone village hidden at the bottom of a blind valley. Named one of 'the most beautiful villages i…
- Château-Chalon – A wine village perched on a cliff, the namesake of the Jura's 'yellow wine' appellation, and also named one of 'the most beautiful villages…
- Cascades du Hérisson – A series of seven waterfalls along the Hérisson valley, including the fan-shaped Éventail falls at about 65 metres. Linked by a riverside t…
- Belvédère des Roches de Baume – Standing on the edge of the Baume blind valley, you look down on the horseshoe-shaped cliffs and the village on the valley floor. It is the…
- Grottes de Baume – Limestone caves at the far end of the blind valley, with an underground river, stalactites and vast chambers. Outside the cave mouth is a m…
- Belvédère des Quatre Lacs – You can see Lake Ilay, Grand and Petit Maclu and Lake Narlay all at once from here, making it the best-known lookout in the Jura lakes dist…
- Pic de l'Aigle – A cliff viewpoint at about 993 metres above sea level, overlooking Lake Ilay and the Jura forests. On clear days you can see Mont Blanc in…
- Lac de Chalain – One of the largest natural lakes on the Jura plateau, with emerald-green water. It is a popular summer spot for swimming, kayaking and lake…
- Lac de Vouglans & Belvédère du Regardoir – The largest artificial lake in the Jura, winding through a gorge. The Regardoir lookout overlooks its bays, and there is swimming and boat…
- Rue du Commerce Arcades – An old-town shopping street lined with 146 arcades, linking Place de la Liberté and the Clock Tower. It is also home to the birthplace of R…
- La Maison de la Vache qui rit – A brand museum at the birthplace of La Vache qui rit cheese, with interactive displays about the century-old story of the red-smiling cow…
- Maison du Comté – Poligny, the 'capital of Comté cheese', has a cheese museum explaining France's largest AOP cheese, with tastings at the end.
- Gorges de la Langouette – A rock-walled gorge on the upper Ain river, about 50 metres deep and as narrow as 4 metres, with bridges and walkways overlooking the rushi…
- Cascade de la Billaude – A two-tier waterfall in the deep valley of the Lemme river, dropping about 28 metres. A stepped path leads down to the base for close-up vi…
- Château d'Arlay – An 18th-century château and one of the oldest family wineries in the Jura, with romantic gardens, medieval castle ruins and wine tasting.
Where to eat
- La Petite Auberge – A long-established local favourite on the north side of town. Its vin jaune and morel puff pastry and Bresse chicken ar…
- Jem – A new Gault & Millau one-toque restaurant in the old town centre. There is no fixed menu, and dishes are improvised fro…
- La Comédie – A creative bistro in a listed historic building on Place de la Comédie, using seasonal Jura ingredients.