La Tour-Du-Meix: Lake, Pyle Bridge and Heritage

In La Tour-Du-Meix, lakeside scenery, activities on the lake and historic buildings appeal to different travel interests. Lac de Vouglans shapes the area’s nature and leisure offerings; Pont de la Pyle, Château de la Tour-du-Meix and Église Saint-Christophe offer a historical and cultural perspective. When planning your trip, you can choose between bathing and water sports, a signposted route, and historical sights as your main focus.

Lac de Vouglans and Water Sports

Lac de Vouglans is 35 kilometres long and France’s third-largest artificial lake. Its wooded shores feature viewpoints, sandy beaches and hiking trails. Swimming is possible at three designated, supervised beaches.

For water sports, Port du Meix in La Tour-du-Meix, also known as Port du Surchauffant, is designated in particular for speedboats and water skiing. Cruises on Lac de Vouglans depart from Port du Meix (Pont de la Pyle) aboard the Bateau le Louisiane. If you are planning a trip, check the departure times in advance.

Routes and Notable Buildings

The 150-kilometre signposted Route des Lacs leads to the listed church in La Tour-du-Meix. The route recommends Port du Meix and Surchauffant beach as stops. It thus includes both a cultural destination and places by the water.

The “Les Falaises du Surchauffant” hiking trail covers a different distance: it is 12 kilometres long and passes the ruins of Château de la Tour-du-Meix. There is a car park for the trail at the Surchauffant campsite in La Tour-du-Meix. The distances provide a useful guide when comparing the two types of outing: the 150-kilometre Route des Lacs versus the 12-kilometre hiking trail.

Pont de la Pyle is 351 metres long, 9 metres wide and 74 metres high. These three measurements give a concrete sense of the structure’s length, width and height.

Château and Église Saint-Christophe

Château de la Tour-du-Meix was built from the 12th century onwards and remodelled by the abbots of Saint-Claude. The fortress controlled the Pyle gorge, which formed one of the entrances to the abbots’ extensive domain in the Haut-Jura. The château can therefore also be viewed in connection with the historical significance of this entrance and the domain.

Église Saint-Christophe is one of the oldest religious buildings in the Jura. The church houses carved, painted, polychrome wooden statues designated as “statues: Vierge et saint Jean”. They were listed as movable cultural property on 9 December 1996. The lake, trails and architectural history offer different themes to help you plan your trip.

Discover more destinations: Peintre, Nozeroy, La Balme-D'épy, Morez, Tancua, Darbonnay, Mournans-Charbonny, Grange-De-Vaivre.

For the main travel overview: Jura.