Chevigny: Château history, fountain ensemble and hiking route

Chevigny offers a range of attractions, from château history and religious architecture to a fountain ensemble, a hiking route and regional products. When looking for a hotel, you can consider whether you would like to include historic buildings, time outdoors or shopping for regional food in your stay. The details below offer specific points to help you decide.

Château history in Chevigny

The château of Chevigny was mainly built in the 15th and 16th centuries. The ruins are listed as a historic monument, except for the reconstructed building; the châtelet is classified as a historic monument. The château is privately owned. Check access arrangements locally before visiting.

The château therefore offers a link to the history of the local architecture, even though a visit should not be assumed to be possible. If you are interested in historic sites, you can note the different protection statuses: they apply differently to the ruins, the reconstructed building and the châtelet. The château’s main construction phases date back several centuries, to the 15th and 16th centuries.

Fountain ensemble at Place de l’Abreuvoir

At Place de l’Abreuvoir, there is an ensemble comprising a fountain, a livestock watering trough and a washhouse, dating from 1832. The covered washhouse is connected to the fountain house (puisoir) by a long basin; the basin served as a livestock watering trough. This lets you take in the different structures and their former functions, rather than focusing on just one fountain.

The fountain house is square and built of dressed stone. It has a tiered stone roof topped with a cross. The cross was carved from a single block of stone. As you look around, note the shape of the house, the tiers of the roof and how it meets the cross: these specific details define the architecture of the ensemble. The long basin connects the fountain house to the covered washhouse and also indicates its use as a livestock watering trough.

Church and wayside cross

The entire church of Chevigny was listed as a historic monument on August 7, 1987. Another notable structure is the stone wayside cross from the 16th century, dated to 1534. It stands at the intersection of the road from Rainans to Chevigny and the municipal road from Chevigny to Auxonne. Its location can therefore be identified by these two named roads.

The wayside cross is classified as a historic monument; this protection dates from August 17, 1945. Christ is depicted on the east side, and the Virgin and Child on the west side. Some sculptural elements are damaged. If you are interested in sculpture and its orientation, the two sides of the cross offer different depictions. The precise date of 1534 and the history of its protected status add a chronological context to this architectural impression.

Hike to the Chêne de la Manche

A route description published in 2019 gives the hike’s length as 12 kilometres, its duration as about three hours, and says there is hardly any elevation gain. The trail leads along a forest track to the Chêne de la Manche, 500 metres away. Check trail conditions locally before setting out, as the route description dates from 2019. The approximate time estimate can help you plan, but it is no substitute for checking local trail conditions.

The Chêne de la Manche was designated a remarkable tree in December 2009. A 2019 description gives its age as about 250 years and its height as 38 metres. These details place the tree within the hike as described and also make clear the date to which its age and height refer. If you would like to combine historic buildings with a hike during your stay, Chevigny offers a choice of different activities.

Regional products from the cooperative shop

The Chevigny cooperative shop sells Comté, Morbier, Tomme and Raclette cheeses, as well as butter, cream, raw milk and fromage blanc. It also offers other local and regional products. Individual items may vary. The shop complements the buildings and hiking route with a practical way to buy regional food. If this is important to your travel plans, you can take the offer into account when choosing where to stay.

Discover more destinations: Port-Lesney, Cosges, Villerserine, Le Larderet, Fort Du Plasne, Les Arsures, Château-Chalon, Septmoncel

For the broader travel overview: Jura.