Dampierre: Doubs Valley, Canal and Heritage

Dampierre lies above the Doubs Valley, overlooking it. The town offers both a connection to the landscape and tangible traces of its history: a stretch of canal runs through Dampierre, while the church, washhouse and evidence of iron production offer further points of interest. The Étang du Patouillet adds another distinctive feature.

The valley and canal as landmarks

A straight, two-kilometre stretch of the Canal Napoléon runs through Dampierre. The canal was later renamed the Canal du Rhône au Rhin. Its length and history of names make it a well-defined part of the town’s history. Two different features should be distinguished: Dampierre overlooks the Doubs Valley, while the canal runs through the town as a clearly defined stretch. This brings together the landscape and the history of water engineering without conflating them.

The church and architectural heritage

Dampierre’s present-day church is dedicated to Saint Peter and was consecrated in 1738. In 1958, the Beaux-Arts classified its altarpiece as a historic monument. Another piece of heritage is the holy water font, considered the only surviving relic of the original church. These details offer different historical perspectives—from the consecration of the present-day church and the altarpiece’s protected status to the surviving element of the earlier building. Those interested in sacred architecture can consider these aspects separately rather than reducing them to a single date.

Buildings also preserve traces of water supply and livestock keeping. In 1900, a spring supplying drinking water was diverted at the Lavoir des Minerais. A livestock drinking trough was built along the Chemin de la Plaine. These two details relate to different uses of water: the supply of drinking water and water for livestock.

The Étang du Patouillet and its natural features

The five-hectare Étang du Patouillet lies in the Le Bourgeois forestry area of the Dampierre forest. Its importance for fishing and ornithology appeals to two distinct interests: fishing and birdlife. Fishing is permitted for people with a fishing licence; this permission may be subject to the local fishing regulations in force. Check the regulations before fishing.

Medieval iron ore extraction sites have been identified in the Bois Bourgeois. Iron slag and other iron remains suggest the presence of one or more furnaces. Evidence of ore extraction is therefore accompanied by a cautious interpretation of its possible further processing; it remains unclear whether one or more furnaces were involved.

A Sunday morning market

A market takes place in Dampierre on Sunday mornings. If you plan to visit during your stay, check the date again before travelling.

If you are looking for a hotel for a stay in Dampierre, you can weigh up your choice of destination according to the focus of your trip: views over the Doubs Valley and the canal represent the landscape and the history of water engineering, while the church, washhouse and traces of iron production offer other historical perspectives. This can help you decide whether the combination of landscape, local history and nature-related features suits the purpose of your trip.

Discover more destinations: Moirans-En-Montagne, Pont-de-Poitte, Grusse, Le Vernois, Voiteur, Passenans, Alièze, Nevy-lès-Dole.

See the broader travel overview: Jura.