The Jura

Introducing The Jura

From its fragrant yellow wine left to mature in oak casks for six years to its unusual hot-box cheese, Jesus sausage and generous dose of authentic farmstays, Jurassien travel really is a memorable feast. Moreover, the dark wooded hills and granite plateaus of the Jura Mountains that stretch in an arc for 360km along the Franco–Swiss border from the Rhine to the Rhône are one of the least explored pockets in France. If it is peace, tranquillity and a true taste of humble mountain life you’re seeking, the Jura is an instant winner.

The Jura – from a Gaulish word meaning ‘forest’ – is France’s premier cross-country skiing area. The range is dotted with ski stations from Pontarlier south to Bellegarde; Métabief Mont d’Or, north of the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Jura, is the main station, as popular for its superb hiking and nature trails as for its gentle slopes. Every year the region hosts the Transjurassienne, one of the world’s toughest cross-country skiing events.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009