Trans Swiss Trail, Stage 3/32

A climb to the high plateau of the Franches Montagnes and peaceful countryside. Dark forests and scattered farmsteads surrounded by horses, cattle and sheep. In between, villages with mustard-coloured houses. Saigneléger is the regional centre.

From the bus stop in the village of Soubey, the yellow-waymarked hiking trail initially leads past the last houses. Before long, the lengthy ascent begins, defining much of the roughly twelve-kilometre route. It crosses meadows and pastures to Lobchez, beyond which open slopes alternate with longer stretches of forest. With no steep mountain-trail sections, the route nevertheless gains a total of around 800 metres in elevation.

After a little over three hours, the houses of Les Pommerats come into view. The church of Saints-Pierre-et-Paul lies slightly off the route, while the hiking trail once again heads into open countryside. Only in the final quarter does the long ascent ease. At 1,071 m, the highest point is reached shortly before the destination; from here, the trail descends gently to the first houses of Saignelégier. After a little over four hours, the hike finally ends near Saignelégier railway station.