Jura Holiday Guide: What To See Plus The Best Bars, Hotels And Restaurants
A jewel of the Jura … the secluded valley with limestone cliffs enclosing the village of Baume-les-Messieurs near Lons-le-Saunier. Photograph: Franck Guiziou/Corbis
The rolling fields, vineyards, mountain ranges and untouched forests of this region of eastern France are packed with wonderful places to eat, drink and stay
If it is still possible for France to have an undiscovered region, the Jura can lay a serious claim, as the lush valleys, thick forests, lakes and mountains of this rural landscape are still very much off the beaten track, even for the French. I should know – my wife comes from around there. After many years spending the sacred month of August on family holidays, I can highly recommend it as a destination to enjoy both the great French pursuits of eating and drinking, plus relaxed biking, hiking, sailing and fishing.
Squeezed between Burgundy, Alsace and the Swiss border, the Jura has no big industrial cities, no famous sights and an economy that essentially revolves around producing outstanding cheese and wine. The market towns of Arbois and Poligny are the foodie capitals, and here you can visit a traditional fruitière – nothing to do with fruit, but a co-operative for making wine and cheese, especially delicious comté.
The Jura is tiny, compared with many of France’s better-known regions, and its countryside rapidly transforms from rural medieval hamlets, surrounded by grazing cows and rolling vineyards, to dramatic Alpine scenery and family ski stations, such as Les Rousses. And for those who come to spend more than just a lazy weekend, there is even the Grandes Traversées du Jura, 300km of trails that can be followed on foot, horseback and mountain bike in spring and summer, or on cross-country skis in winter.
What to do
Winemaker villages
Photograph: Jura Tourisme
Winemaking in the Jura is still practised on a human scale, with small, mainly organic vineyards run by enthusiastic young vignerons who welcome anyone passing by to taste their very distinctive wines. Create your own wine route through the bucolic villages from Arbois down to Revermont, but be sure to visit Château-Chalon, precariously perched on a clifftop, and Arlay, with its imposing chateau. It’s worth planning a trip at the end of January when these villages take it in turns to host La Percée du Vin Jaune, a riotous festival celebrated by 35,000 people to unveil the new vintage of straw-yellow local tipple – vin jaune.
Les Salines de Salins
Don’t bother with the nondescript spa town of Salins-les-Bains, but be sure to visit the Unesco-listed maze of vast underground caverns and galleries, where salt has been mined in frightening conditions for 1,200 years. It’s amazing to learn that the search for “white gold” only ended 50 years ago. • Guided tours daily, adult €7.50, child €3.50-€4, salinesdesalins.com
La Maison de la Vache Qui Rit
Photograph: Alamy
In the centre of Lons-le-Saunier, capital of the Jura, this brilliant modern museum is irresistible for kids – and for anyone interested in food and design. Dedicated to Laughing Cow, France’s famous processed cheese, the interactive museum has a wonderful collection of posters and advertising, dating back to 1921. •adult €7.50, child €3-€6, family €21, lamaisondelavachequirit.com
Pays des Lacs
The Jura’s own lake district, in the Petite Montagne nature reserve, is perfect for biking and rambling, swimming and fishing. Within an hour’s drive are the wild ice-age lakes of Bonlieu and Narlay, the 60-metre-high Hérisson waterfalls, and the sandy beaches and turquoise waters of Lac de Chalain.
Poligny’s town square is dotted with dairies and wine bars offering tastes of their famous vins et fromages, and both feature prominently on the menu of the casual Sergenterie restaurant. Steep stairs lead to a 17th-century vaulted cellar, a comfortable locale for a relaxed and lengthy meal of cuisine de terroir. Expect huge portions and delicious dishes like smoked pork knuckle in creamy comté sauce, or rösti with juicy morteau sausage smothered with hot cancoillotte, a naturally runny, low-fat cheese. •Set menu from €9.50, 31 place des Déportés, +33 3 84 37 37 11,lasergenterie.com
Le Grapiot, Pupillin
With its stunning avant garde wooden exterior, the Grapiot is quite a shock in this sleepy vineyard village, and the innovative cuisine of talented young chef Samuel Richardet is even more of a surprise. The five-course tasting menu at €50 (€60 with wine pairing) is brilliant value and might include trout sushi stuffed with fresh goat’s cheese, slow-cooked saddle of rabbit, and chocolate “spring rolls” with a tangy lychee sorbet. •Set three-course lunch €20, rue Bagier, +33 3 84 37 49 44, legrapiot.com
Le Bistrot des Terrasses, Plaisia
It is not easy to find this bright, modern wooden chalet, off a narrow country road near the Jura lake district. But young, dynamic owners Isabelle and Eric Giudici – who only opened two years ago – have won a faithful following with their enthusiasm for healthy zero-carbon food, sourced solely from surrounding farms. The menu features locally fished trout, organic seasonal vegetables and morbier, comté and goat’s cheeses from the village fruitière. •Three-course menu €22, 1 route d‘Onoz, +33 3 84 47 54 20,lebistrotdesterrasses.blogspot.fr
Le Bistrot des Claquets, ArboisFood lovers visiting Arbois are spoilt for choice: at the top end, there’s two-Michelin-star chef Jean-Paul Jeunet’s eponymous gastronomic temple. For a more rustic experience, there’s La Finette, a tavern specialising in succulent chicken braised in vin jaune, cream and morels. But the best deal in town is at the delightfully retro Claquets, serving genuine cuisine du marché (market cooking). A self-service buffet of healthy starters, such as lentil salad and carrot and lemon terrine, is followed by a plat du jour and homemade fruit tart for dessert. •Three-course lunch €15, 33 rue de Faramand, +33 3 84 66 04 19
On the bank of the Loue river, the shady terrace of this traditional bistrot is the perfect place to try the area’s unique wines: light and drinkable reds, made from the indigenous trousseau and poulsard grapes, and the distinctive white savagnin. Raymond Blanc fans may recognise the Bistrot from his Very Hungry Frenchman TV series – he’s a local boy. •Place du 8 Mai 1945, +33 3 84 37 83 27, bistrotdeportlesney.com
Maison des Vins, L’Etoile
L’Etoile is tucked away at the foot of an idyllic valley lined with vineyards, but visitors tend to pass over the Maison des Vins because it looks like a tacky, modern convenience store. Inside, though, the bar is always buzzing, as this is the village’s favourite watering hole. More than a wine bar, it stocks local artisan beer Rouget de Lisle, a craft cider, and lethal fruit brandies. •21 route de Robinet, +33 3 84 24 06 93, maisondesvins-jura.com
Authentic village bistrots like this one are disappearing fast but la patronne here, Madame Dédé, makes sure nothing changes, from her vintage table football to the battered leather sofa, rickety oak tables – where villagers like to sit and discuss their wine production – and the all-important summer pétanque competition she organises. •Route de la Vallée, +33 3 84 44 62 43
Le Bistrot de la Tournelle, Arbois
Each summer, the crowds get bigger at Arbois. From 20 June to the end of August, eco-vignerons Evelyne and Pascal Clairet transform their waterside garden into what the French call a guinguette, a lively outdoor cafe where they serve their excellent organic wines, alongside specialities from Jura food producers. Each afternoon turns into a long, lazy picnic. •5 Petite Place, +33 3 84 66 25 76, domainedelatournelle.com
The village of Chateau Chalon. Photograph: John Brunton
Housed in an ancient coaching inn, which is perched on the hillside village of Château-Chalon, this B&B has five cosy rooms, several of them with spectacular views. One of the Jura’s most famous vins jaunes is made here – an intense, sherry-like wine aged for more than six years. Make time for a tasting at nearby winemaker Domaine Credoz. •Doubles from €80, +33 3 84 44 98 56, relais-des-abbesses.fr
L’Entre Coeur, Ménétru-le-VignobleEric and Sarah Goypieron have recently renovated an ancient stone farmhouse in the middle of their vineyards into a smart winemaker/B&B. The rooms are bright and modern, the hearty breakfast includes homemade cakes, and each evening guests are invited down to the cellar for a tasting of their organic vintages. •Doubles from €90, +33 6 95 08 73 54, chambredhote-entrecoeur.fr
Château de Marigna, Marigna-sur-ValouseIn the grounds of a massive medieval castle, a farmhouse, barn and 15th-century dovecote have been transformed into smart guest rooms. The feel is more classy B&B than luxury hotel. It is surrounded by its own forests and lake, with free bikes for exploring, and there are special activity packages on offer, including horseriding and kayaking stays. •Doubles from €90 B&B, three-storey dovecote €140, +33 6 86 12 15 30,chateaudemarigna.com
Château de Germigney, Port-LesneyThis chateau was built in 1700 as a hunting lodge for the local marquis and is the perfect lavish bolthole for a splash-out stay, though room rates are not outrageous. It is set in beautiful gardens with a landscaped pool, and has a Michelin-starred restaurant. •Doubles from €100, +33 3 84 73 85 85, chateaudegermigney.com
For more information about the region, go to jura-tourism.com. EasyJet has return flights to Lyon – the nearest airport – from £65, easyjet.com, or travel on Eurostar to Lyon from £89, eurostar.com. Car hire was provided by carrentals.co.uk
By John Brunton, www.theguardian.com
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A jewel of the Jura … the secluded valley with limestone cliffs enclosing the village of Baume-les-Messieurs near Lons-le-Saunier. Photograph: Franck Guiziou/Corbis
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