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Avis' 2nd Genealogy tour Baden- Alsace |
Day Six - Exploring the French Jura
Because of laying the tram tracks in Mulhouse, it was a bit awkward to get onto the road to Belfort but we were soon on the free bit of the motorway, turning off before the paying bit.
We parked near the Porte de Brisach, walked in through it & inspected the vast fortifications, the old town & the Lion sculpture (E1.80 for two). The museum was closed (Tuesday problem - often the closing day for museums in France, be warned).
The massive walls of Belfort |
The Belfort Lion |
We carried on West through the attractive newer part of Belfort to Ronchamp, which itself is quite ordinary but has the Le Corbusier Chapel above it in such a prominent site, it must be visible for miles around. It was E3 each to go in. An impressive building, bigger outside than I thought it would be but somehow, smaller inside. The bells were outside in the wood, which was rather odd, as the chapel has two towers. There is more on this link.
Ronchamp Chapel from SE |
Ronchamp Chapel from the East |
Down in Ronchamp, we had coffee & then carried on to Lure, turning South down a pretty road Villersexel, which had many characteristic buildings, houses with a barn attached, the barn having a huge rounded door, one of which I photoed in St. Sulpice. Then, to Baume les Dames on the main road & to Besancon, the entry to which is rather ugly but it has a very high citadel in the bend of the river with nowhere to park for a photo! On the road to Ornans shortly after leaving the main road, we stopped for an excellent lunch in the "La Baraque des Violons" but the landlady overcharged us. It was bit late to argue, as I had handed over an E50 note & was shocked at the price E49.10. I later discovered she had not even added it up correctly. So this place goes on the Shit List. |
A house-cum barn at |
Ornans is a lovely town & one recognised stuff from Courbet's paintings as soon as one was there. The museum was in his birthplace (E4 each) & a tour was in progress, although we understood little. The guide had made himself look a bit like Courbet. The building was large & hosted other painters, most of whom were not good enough. |
Ornans - the River Loue looking West |
The river looking East |
In Ornans |
Courbet's Birthplace |
In Courbet's Birthplace |
From Ornans, I had plotted a long, green road route back to Mulhouse & this turned out better than I could have dreamed, going up the Loue valley, over by Nods, Epenoy, Fuans & Gigot into the Dessoubre valley, which we followed down delightfully to the Doubs again at St. Hippolyte, up the Doubs to Glère, then over the top to Porrentruy in Switzerland, the road deteriorating sharply on the Swiss side. It would have been nice to spend time in Porrentruy but we had to go back, as it was getting late. We found that Boncourt in CH but on the frontier, was full of cigarette factories! We did stop at Hirtzbach just before Altkirch for photos & were back in Mulhouse at about 8. It had been a hot day. |
Hirtzbach |
Contact: Ken Baldry at 17 Gerrard Road, Islington, London N1 8AY +44(0)20 7359 6294 or e-mail him URL: http://www.art-science.com/Tourism/France/AA2/a28.html Last revised 30/5/2005 ©2005 Art & Science Ltd. All rights reserved