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There is a very great deal to see………….. and to do in the wider area.

But, once started, I would find it difficult to stop. Let me, then, just briefly tour the near horizon.

Salins-les-Bains from Mont Poupet

Proceed to Salins-les-Bains where you can take a thermal bath, visit the ancient salt mine (another national Historic Monument) and one of the two fortresses overlooking the town. One has a tree-top adventure park. You can also inspect the numerous artisanal potteries (e.g. Dangon and Ludovic) on the road out to Dole. Some historians argue that this was the setting of the siege and battles in 52BC in which Caesar's defeat of the Gaulish hero Vercingetorix sealed his conquest of Gaul. From the surrounding heights it is not difficult to credit it.

Not far away to the West is the Saline Royale (Royal Saltworks) at Arc-et-Senans, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Five minutes' drive beyond Salins-les-Bains brings you into the northern end of the Arbois and Cotes-du-Jura wine-growing area (see the Food and Drink pages). Pretty little villages set in their vineyards are prolific. Montigny-les-Arsures is a typical example.

Arbois, some 25 minutes from Nans, prospers from the wine-trade and abounds in wine-tasting opportunities. Its Musée de la Vigne et du Vin at the Chateau Pécauld offers an exhibition of the history and techniques of local wine-growing.

General view of Arbois and of Pasteur's house there

Arbois was also the home of Louis Pasteur whose early experiments in pasteurisation were performed on the wines of his own vineyard just above the town. Visit his home and laboratory - and his own personal vineyard too.

Take the Route des Vins along the beautiful vineyard-strewn slopes of the Révermont.

Visit, too, the gorges and caves of Les Planches and Moidons just beyond Arbois.

20 minutes’ motoring from Nans brings you to the spectacular valley of the River Loue which, like our Lison, also emerges fully formed from a cave. This merits three Michelin stars. The canyon of the upper valley offers superb unspoiled walking. Further down, canoeing pre-dominates.

 The upper Loue valley in winter

At Ornans down-river you can visit the riverside home (now an art museum) of the artist Gustave Courbet ‘the Father of the Impressionists’. Courbet painted many local scenes (including the Source of the Lison) many of which are sign-posted as you tour the Loue Valley.

The River Loue at Ornans…… …… …..And at Cléron

Besançon, 40 minutes by car from Nans, is our ‘county town’. It offers good shopping, riverboat rides on the Doubs, beautiful riverside parks, Roman remains, and at least 6 Museums (including a harrowing one featuring the local Resistance and Deportations in WWII). Most of the museums – and the zoo - are in the Citadel set majestically high up above both river and town, and spectacularly illuminated at night. Find out more about Besançon at the following websites: www.besancon.com/intro/anglais/ and artic.ac-besancon.fr/action_culturelle/lac52hnans.htm

The Doubs river valley, both up- and down-stream from Besançon is beautiful and worth an outing. About 12 miles downstream you will find the riverside Grotte d'Osselle.

Not far away, the open-air museum at Nancray offers 30 examples of farm and residential architecture in Franche-Comté.

Further to the North-East you can visit both the Chapel of Ronchamp (designed by Le Corbusier) and the fascinating Peugeot Museum at Sochaux.

In the Haut-Doubs, Pontarlier, 30 minutes from Nans, is the gateway to our largest local lake, the Lac Saint-Point. Here, because outboards are forbidden, swimming, sailing, rowing, canoeing, and surfboarding can be enjoyed in tranquillity. Its smaller neighbour, the Lac de Remoray is a wildlife sanctuary. Nearby Mont d'Or, as high as Ben Nevis, looms over the ski-resort of Métabief and offers a 360 degree panorama including five Swiss and French lakes (as well as the Alps!) at once.

The medieval Chateau de Joux, guards the passes into Switzerland, and hosts an annual music festival.

 The Swiss border (www.seelandjura.ch/f/jura) is 45 minutes away from Nans via Pontarlier and Les Rousses. Geneva, Lausanne, Montreux, Neuchatel and Berne, as well as their lakes, can all be reached within 2 hours. Trips around the Lake of Geneva, to the Bernese Oberland, Basle, Lucerne, Gruyères and other Swiss delights can each be enjoyed within a day’s leisurely motoring.

The Michelin guides to the Jura (only in French) and to Switzerland are highly recommended for a more comprehensive view of the possibilities and pleasures. The local Tourist Information offices (Salins, Arc-et-Senans, Ornans, Arbois, Pontarlier, Besançon and, for Switzerland, Vallorbe and St Cergue) have abundant information. So have the apartments here!

Francis Geere August 2005

Any questions?