The Frasne plateau in the Haut Doubs region has a whole range of biking trails to discover. Here are a few routes for exploring Frasne and the surrounding area.
Jurassic Vélo Tours
Jurassic Vélo Tours offers fifty or so itineraries created with electric bikes, mountain bikes and hybrid bikes in mind. Hop on your bike and discover the roads, paths, waterfalls and lakes between Pontarlier and Nantua, whether you’re out for an afternoon, day, or multi-day adventure. As the itineraries don’t require any technical prowess, they are accessible to all cyclists who enjoy nature and the outdoors.
In the Haut Doubs region, two circular routes start at Frasne:
- Heart of the wetlands: 24 km, elevation gain of 219 m, about 1½ hours. This itinerary takes you on a discovery tour of the Frasne peat bogs, the river Drugeon (complete with bird observatory), the shores of Bouverans lake, Moulin lake and more.
- Humans and water, past to present: 55 km, elevation gain of 200 m, about 4 hours. This itinerary takes you from Frasne to Grangettes to discover the peat bogs, Malpas lake and the village of Bonnevaux.
To book an electric bike, visit the Jurassic Vélo Tours website.
Itineraries are not signposted specifically as Jurassic Vélo Tours routes. A free mobile app is available on Google Play or in the App Store. Once you have downloaded it, clip your smartphone onto your handlebars and follow the directions!
The Node Cycle Network
Plan your own cycle itinerary using the node cycle network. This system is based on signposts installed at each network intersection or “node”. Each signpost has a number and indicates the direction of the next signpost(s).
In the Haut Doubs region, the main nodes are on the Frasne plateau and in the Drugeon valley. They are generally found along the Grand Traversée du Jura (GTJ) and the P’tite GTJ cycle routes, as well as on traffic-free routes. With over 300 node signposts installed, you have a whole range of itineraries to play with.
To plan your itinerary:
- Get hold of a free map from the tourist information point in Frasne or other tourist offices in the Haut Doubs region.
- Plan your itinerary according to the distance, climbs, places you want to visit, shops and so on.
- You also have the option of writing the node numbers for you itinerary on a tag that you can then attach to your handlebars.
- You can start and finish wherever you decide!
- To find out more, visit the Doubs Tourisme website
Cycling and cheese routes
Fancy combining healthy exercise and delicious food? These cycling and cheese routes are just the ticket! The Doubs boasts two such itineraries. Enjoy a tasty break along the Frasne-Drugeon circular route.
74 kilometres long and with 1,011 metres of elevation gain, the route mainly follows the greenways running in and around the Frasne plateau and the Drugeon valley. Along the way, you simply must stop to discover the region’s iconic cheeses: Comté, Morbier and Mont d’Or. Enjoy a visit of the cheese dairies (fruitières), in Frasne, Boujailles, Bouverans and so on, without forgetting to take in the views of Saint-Point lake, La Rivière-Drugeon lake, Bouverans lake and surroundings, Saint-Antoine castle, etc.
