Chapelle-Des-Bois: Cross-Country Skiing, Peat Bogs and Cultural Heritage

Chapelle-Des-Bois offers several distinct points of interest to help you plan your trip: cross-country skiing, trails through peat bog landscapes, and insights into life in the Haut-Doubs. The local cheese-making tradition and the history of the border region are also among the town’s attractions. If you’re looking for a hotel, these interests can help you choose the aspect of the destination that best suits your plans.

Cross-Country Skiing and Peat Bog Landscapes

The Site Nordique de Chapelle-des-Bois has 14 cross-country ski trails with a total length of 127 kilometers. The number and layout of the trails may vary by season, so it’s worth checking the current status when planning your trip. This gives you an overview of the trail network as a whole, without treating the figures as unchanging.

One individual route is the GTJ ski route from Chapelle-des-Bois to Bellefontaine. It is 9 kilometers long; whether it can actually be used in winter depends on snow conditions. The 9 kilometers describe this route, while 127 kilometers is the total length of the cross-country ski trails. If you’re considering a specific outing rather than the whole trail network, this separate distance provides a useful guide.

The landscape can also be explored on foot and by mountain bike, with different routes to choose from. The Sentier de Chapelle-des-Bois begins with a peat bog landscape just beyond the village. Lac des Mortes is also bordered by peat bogs and can be explored along hiking and mountain biking trails. The two destinations offer different points of interest: the trail begins with the peat bog, while at the lake, the peat bogs and trails together provide the setting for exploration.

A striking feature of the landscape and its history is the Roche Champion cliff. It marks the edge of the Risoux massif and separates Switzerland from France. A Catholic cross on the cliff commemorates the region’s historic religious divide. Here, the natural landscape and regional history meet in a specific place.

Écomusée and Historic Trails

The Écomusée Maison Michaud is a typical Haut-Doubs farmhouse with a Tuyé, dating from the 17th century. It is located in the Combe des Cives at an altitude of over 1,000 meters. The focus is on how the inhabitants of the Jura mountains adapted their activities to a harsh climate and made use of the mountain’s resources. The farmhouse gives this subject a tangible connection to agricultural life at this altitude.

The Sentier thématique de la Combe des Cives begins at the Écomusée. Along seven information panels, it tells the story of the Battle of the Combe des Cives and leads to strategic ambush sites. Information and eyewitness accounts add to the account of these conflicts. Another way to combine the landscape with a museum visit is the Ecomusée – Combe des Cives Route No. 21: it passes through a combe, forest and mountain pastures, and includes a visit to the Écomusée Maison Michaud.

Cheese-Making Traditions and Local History

The Fromagerie de Chapelle-des-Bois continues the local “coulée” tradition: producers bring their milk to the cheese dairy themselves every morning and evening. Cheese-making is therefore tied to a regular rhythm in the producers’ daily lives.

The Fromagerie biologique de Chapelle des Bois welcomes visitors for tours and tastings. They can learn about the stages of making Comté, Morbier and other products. Check the current tour and tasting arrangements before your trip.

The history of cheese-making in the area also includes the construction of a new Fromagerie de Chapelle-des-Bois around 1929, south of the first chalet, which has since been destroyed. Before that, there were four cooperative cheese dairies: in the village, at La Norbière, in the Combe-des-Cives and near Les Mortes. These milestones provide further historical context for the cheese-making tradition that continues today.

Discover more destinations: Clerval, École-Valentin, Arc-Et-Senans, Consolation-Maisonnettes, Besançon, Le Russey, Malbuisson, Corcelle-Mieslot

For the broader travel overview: Doubs.