At the Sentier de Chapelle-des-Bois, the trail begins beyond the village in a bog landscape. The Écomusée Maison Michaud explores the historic farm and life in the Jura Mountains. Cross-country skiing, the history of the border region and the cheese-making tradition round out these themes. This lets you plan around what interests you most: landscapes, activity or regional history.
Bogs, trails and border history
The Sentier de Chapelle-des-Bois begins beyond the village in a bog landscape. This starting point gives the trail a clear focus on nature. The Lac des Mortes is also edged by bogs and can be explored on hiking and mountain biking trails. The two descriptions emphasize different things: the Sentier begins in a bog landscape, while both hiking and mountain biking trails are mentioned at Lac des Mortes.
Roche Champion offers another historical perspective. The cliff marks the edge of the Risoux massif and separates Switzerland from France. A Catholic cross on the cliff commemorates the region’s historical religious division. Here, a distinctive border landscape and a visible reminder of its past come together—a different way to explore the area than its bog trails or farming culture.
Cross-country skiing in winter
The Site Nordique de Chapelle-des-Bois has 14 cross-country ski trails with a total length of 127 kilometers. The number and configuration of trails may change each season. For planning, current trail information is therefore an important reference.
One specific route is the GTJ ski route from Chapelle-des-Bois to Bellefontaine, which is 9 kilometers long. Whether it can actually be used in winter depends on snow conditions. If you plan to go cross-country skiing, bear in mind the difference between the stated route length and the conditions at the time.
Farm, museum and regional history
The Écomusée Maison Michaud is a farm typical of the Haut-Doubs, with a 17th-century tuyé chimney. It is located in the Combe des Cives at an altitude of over 1,000 meters. The museum shows how the inhabitants of the Jura Mountains adapted their work to a harsh climate and made use of the mountains’ resources. It focuses not only on a historic farm, but also on how people coped with the conditions of mountain life.
The Sentier thématique de la Combe des Cives begins at the Écomusée. Seven information panels tell the story of the Battle of the Combe des Cives. Topics include strategic ambush sites, as well as clues and eyewitness accounts of the clashes. Route Ecomusée – Combe des Cives No. 21 combines a combe, forest and mountain pastures with a visit to the Écomusée Maison Michaud. Those interested in history can explore it in different ways: the museum focuses on life and work in the mountains, the thematic Sentier on past conflicts, and Route No. 21 on landscape features along the way.
Cheese-making culture and planning your visit
The Fromagerie de Chapelle-des-Bois continues the local tradition of the “coulée”: producers deliver their milk to the cheese dairy themselves every morning and evening. The village’s history also includes former cooperative cheese dairies in the village, at La Norbière, in the Combe-des-Cives and near Les Mortes. Around 1929, a new Fromagerie was built south of the first chalet, which has since been destroyed.
The Fromagerie biologique de Chapelle des Bois welcomes visitors for tours and tastings. They can learn about the production stages of Comté, Morbier and other products. Check the current arrangements for visits and tastings before you arrive. The ongoing “coulée” and a tour with tasting offer different insights: one concerns daily milk deliveries, the other the production of cheese.
If you are looking for a hotel in Chapelle-des-Bois, first decide whether cross-country skiing, nature trails or regional history will shape your stay. Current considerations vary depending on your focus: snow conditions matter for the GTJ ski route, while visit and tasting arrangements matter for tours and tastings.
Discover more destinations: Villers-Le-Lac, Rochejean, Les Alliés, Mouthier-Haute-Pierre, Mondon, Goumois, By, Brey-Et-Maison-Du-Bois.
For the broader travel overview: Doubs.
