Gorges of the Saine and the Langouette

Departing from the church, the Langouette faerie accompanies you on this trail marked by interpretive signs which will help you to reveal the secrets of the mysterious waterfalls and gorges of the Langouette, and to admire the wild beauty of this canyon carved by the Saine up-close.

This imposing structure built in 1789, with a gambrel roof, also called a “Mansard” roof, is comprised of two stories of barns and two stories of cellars. Relays had to be able to accommodate a large number of hitches. For the Grandvallier “rollers” (road hauliers), who worked independently or on behalf of “rolling firms”, these relays were vital stop-offs. At the height of the rolling period, during the mid-19th century, rolling firms such as the famous Maison Bouvet established their own relays in major cities.

Lake countries are haunted by many legends: faeries, knights and witches float above their mysterious waters. Several legends serve as the origin of the name “Lac à la Dame” (the Lady’s lake). One legend states that this small lake was dug out by the mysterious knight that wanders over the lakes of Bonlieu, Maclu and Narlay, at the request of a woman he once loved. In exchange for this favour, she would give herself to him body and soul. During foggy weather, you might see the Lady’s long white dress floating over the lake!

Dans le secteur de Grandvaux-Malvaux, carrefour de routes importantes entre Saint-Claude, Genève, Lons le Saunier, et Besançon, l’image des rouliers et des voituriers a longtemps symbolisé l'ouverture commerciale du teritoire. A Foncine-le-Bas, cette tradition se manifeste par la présence de la voie du tram, entre Clairvaux-les-Lacs et Foncine, qui a entraîné la construction du viaduc des Douanets et d’une petite gare. Ces infrastructures ont représenté une opportunité pour les entreprises locales dont l'implantation étaient liée à l'utilisation de la force motrice de la Saine qui traverse le village à Foncine-le-Bas.

Metric tracks were intended to avoid the need for works of art. However, in a rugged region, viaducts were the only way to cross rivers, chasms and precipices. The Clairvaux-Foncine line was in use from 1907 to 1939; its tracks were dismantled under the Occupation.

At the start of the 20th century, the Jura mountain comprised 400 kilometres of metric railway lines completing the main general interest lines such as the Andelot-La-Cluse line. On these narrow lines, the “Tacot” carried both goods and people both in the summer and in the winter. The first connection - Lons-Saint-Claude - opened in 1898, Champagnole to Foncine-le-Bas through Planches-en-Montagne in 1924, before closing in 1950. Tacots were beneficiaries until 1927. Later, breakdowns, derailing and delays, as well as the rise of automobiles sealed the fate of the “little train” in 1958 with the closing of the Morez-les Rousses-La Cure line. In fifty years, through their exchanges and their work, tacots marked the memories of Jura inhabitants and contributed towards building a heritage similar to that of the viaducts of the gorges of Malvaux.

Springing from a source at an altitude of over 1,000 metres, and only after heavy rainfall, the La Ruine forebay waterfall offers a harmonious spectacle that is a mix between the work of Man and the work of nature. The viaduct draws the eyes towards the dance of water on rock, which naturally creeps between the piers of the bridge.

Many obstacles, weirs or dams, were long-ago built on the waterways to draw from their hydraulic power. Most of them are no longer used and still hinder the natural transportation of sediments from the river and the movement of fish. Through lack of maintenance, these run a great risk of destabilising neighbouring infrastructures. Knowledge of how waterways work has also significantly improved, encouraging their managers to work towards a more natural operation of waterways, by installing or dismantling unused weirs.

A source of legends and history, the gorges of the Langouette are full of beauty and stories waiting to be discovered.