A walk along the French-Swiss border near Porrentruy

Saturday May 14th, 2022 -- As usual, we planned our day around the weather report, which showed the best expected weather with lots of sunshine in the western part of Switzerland. As we don't go there often (the travel time is usually too long for the value of the hike... the landscape is like others closer by), we are not so familiar with good hiking options there.

We thought a hike along the French/Swiss border near Porrentruy in the Jura range would be fun, but it turned out to be about three hours of walking through the forest, and several of the stretches were relatively long and monotonous. A couple of times we emerged into meadows or farmland, so that was interesting, and only once did we get a view over France to the North at a rocky outcropping called "Roc du Corbeau". But walking back and forth across the border along one single trail (sometimes the border stone was on the right, sometimes on the left of the trail) had its own appeal.

The section of trail we walked was a small part of a regional trail called "Chemin du Jura", this being Section 2 -- from Lucelle at the border to the historical town of Porrentruy. Walking all the way to Porrentruy would have been too long for us (5 hours), so we ended the hike in Vendlincourt, a town which didn't offer much in quaintness. Porrentruy is worth a visit, but we have seen that city on a previous hike in 2016 (Those photos can be viewed HERE).

An interesting fact about the Canton Jura. It is a very young canton, the region having previously belonged to Canton Bern. It was created in 1979 by an 82% popular vote in Switzerland's democratic process.

From Delémont we took a bus (30 minutes) to the border town of Lucelle, where we started the hike along the pretty little lake called Étang de Lucelle

Generally typical of old farm houses in the Jura

France is only two minutes on foot from here! We're following Trail no.31: "Chemin du Jura"

The "Ancienne Abbaye" (Former Monastery). Whereas the Étang de Lucelle (behind me) is in Switzerland, the Abbaye is in France. So right here I am standing in Switzerland, looking into France. 

Étang de Lucelle

The first half of the 13-km walk was along the Swiss-French border. Actually, sometimes the border stones were on the right, sometimes on the left of the trail. We had hoped for some views north into the Alsacian landscape, but only got that at one point called "Roc de Corbeau".

Crossing back into Switzerland from France. 

There were a few nice stretches through the meadows

The Jura is known for ranches and raising horses. Here I am standing at the French border again, looking down the road that heads into Swiss countryside. Our hike continues now through the forest along the border. 

The Canola fields are just at the peak of flowering. 

One of many border stones along the trail 

Switzerland on the left, France on the right. The farm ahead, called "Les Ébourbettes", is in France, and featured somehow in WWII by the rescue of a French General Giraud who was captured by the Germans but escaped and was brought here. 

Urs is standing in Switzerland and I am standing in France

As this region used to belong to Canton Berne, the 250-year old border stones feature the bear mascot of Canton Berne. 

The flowering meadows were a treat. We found a bench near the farm to have our picnic lunch

At least half of our hike was on a trail such as this one through the forests.

Here on the edge of a cliff called "Roc du Corbeau", we finally got a look over the French countryside (here it is called the Alsace")

Sitting on a bench at the "Roc du Corbeau" enjoying our only view into the French region of Alsace.

That farm down there and the castle ruins (in France) look like they would have been interesting features of a walk through this region!

A close-up of the castle ruins. We could have gone down there from the farm at "Les Ébourbettes", had we known

Urs spotted a fox running across one of the fields

Back into the pastureland in the Swiss Jura. This is the second farm we passed before getting to Vendlincourt, where we ended the hike. 

Always love the cows

Also here they are mowing the meadows to make hay for the cows

Some long monotonous stretches on wide roads. (Up ahead is a forest where we wanted to stop for a coffee break, but ended up putting out a camp fire that someone seemed to have abandoned. We used the last of my drinking water which was tough, because it was a hot day and we found no fountains to fill up the bottle).

More pretty meadow flowers

Looking South over the pastureland in the Jura

End of our hike in Vendlincourt. This is close enough to the French border that they also have / had a customs house. 

Riding the "Chemins de Fer du Jura" (Jura Railway line) to Porrentruy, where we changed to a train to Basel. 

Completing the section from Lucelle to Porrentruy would have been too long (5 hours). We have visited Porrentruy in 2016 when we did a hike to St.Ursanne (also not starting in Porrentruy). This section of Switzerland is interesting, because it is surrounded on three sides by France. 

The region where we did this hike