Chemin du Jura, Stage 1/5

The scenic path through the hilly, wooded Jura landscape runs mainly along a ridge and ends at the Etang de Lucelle on the French border. At Les Ordons, the views over the Jura chain, the Alps, the Black Forest, the upper Rhine valley, the Vosges and part of Franche-Comté are magnificent.

From Delémont railway station, the yellow waymarked hiking trail leads out of the town and up into the Jura hills. The long opening section runs through forest, followed by alternating stretches of open pasture and woodland. With around 900 metres of ascent, the hike requires stamina, although it remains technically easy.

A little over halfway along, the route reaches its highest point near Les Ordons at around 970 m. The 80-metre transmission tower stands slightly off the trail. This is followed by a long, varied descent through the hilly Jura landscape. At Grande Roche, the trail passes through forest once more before the terrain opens out towards Lucelle.

Shortly before the destination, the route runs directly alongside the Étang de Lucelle. From there, it is not far to Lucelle, where the hike ends after 18 kilometres and just under six hours. The actual end of the route is not directly served by public transport; the nearest stop, Lucelle, is around 700 m away.