An adrenaline rush or admiration of the landscape? A full-blown hike or a few hours’ ramble? On foot, on horseback or by bike? In the Jura mountains, there’s something to suit everyone. Just follow one of the many trails of the Grandes Traversées du Jura (or GTJ). Don your backpack and go!
On foot
The walking route takes the Grande Randonnée (GR) trails and connects Mandeure in the Doubs to Culoz in Ain across 400km, with stages of 20km per day. It crosses the highest points of the Massif: Mont d’Or, Crêt Pela and Crêt de la Neige. On this route, you can choose your section – for example Les Rousses in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, for a 100km-hike over five days. GTJ hiking route
By mountain bike
Along a 415km signposted route, the Grandes Traversées du Jura has become a classic in itinerant mountain bike tours in France. The route takes four days (140km per day) and connects Métabief to Bellegarde-sur-Valserine – you can cross the whole of the Haut-Jura Regional Natural Park between forests, valleys, lakes and peat bogs. Challenging on its northern part, easier to the south. GTJ mountain biking route
By road bike
No need for a mountain bike to have fun in the Jura! There’s plenty of regular cycle tourism here too, with signposted routes crossing the massif and avoiding the main roads for almost 400km, connecting Montbéliard to Culoz. The routes are divided into sections of 30-40km, to be tackled according to desire and ability. GTJ bike riding route
On horseback
A 500km horseback route through the mountains – what do you say? Between Crosey-le-Petit in the Doubs and Arbignieu in the Ain, this is a great adventure for experienced riders. The layout makes it easy to cut through the steps and create shorter routes – such as the three-day circuit around the Frasnoix, which takes in the Lac des Rouges Truites and the Château des Prés. GTJ horseback riding route
By Caroline Revol-Maurel
Journalist passionate about wild nature, travel and rock. As happy to write about bearded vultures as Lou Reed. Often accompanied by my two best critics, my daughters.
