Grandfontaine combines hiking trails with a rich architectural history. The Sentier de Béthanie-la-Marne and the footpaths in the Bois du Crot offer different ways to explore on foot. The Église Notre-Dame-du-Mont and the small Oratoire de la Vierge near the spring bring historic buildings into the picture. This lets you choose whether to focus your stay on walks or architecture.

Walks and Trails

The Sentier de Béthanie-la-Marne starts and ends at Grandfontaine’s former football stadium. The walking route is 8.4 kilometres long, has a moderate difficulty level and is suitable for families; it takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes. Along the way, the route passes through rural areas, woodland and open landscapes. This sequence gives the walk a changing character as it passes through different types of landscape. The approximate duration can help you plan your day. If conditions change, check local information before setting out.

The GR® de Pays Ceinture de Besançon also passes through Grandfontaine. So, alongside the Sentier, there is another named route through the village, offering a separate point of interest for hikers.

Wide, well-cleared, unmarked footpaths run through the Bois du Crot. They provide a connection to Velesmes-Essarts. One practical difference from the Sentier is navigation: the Sentier starts and ends at a fixed location, while you should not rely on trail markers on the paths in the Bois du Crot. If you choose based on the time available, the Sentier offers a rough reference of about two and a half hours. On the paths in the Bois, by contrast, the lack of markings and the connection to Velesmes-Essarts are important features.

Church Architecture and Local History

The present-day Église Notre-Dame-du-Mont was built between 1778 and 1782 to plans by François Lazare Renaud, an architect from Besançon. An older church already stood on the same site in the 14th century. This distinguishes two points in the history of this church site: the older church and the construction of the present building several centuries later.

The present church is a hall church in the Louis XVI style; its tower portal is crowned with a traditional imperial roof. These terms refer to different aspects of the building: “hall church” describes the building type, Louis XVI its stylistic classification, and the imperial roof the crowning feature of the tower portal. Those interested in architecture can thus distinguish the building form, style and a specific architectural element.

The small Oratoire de la Vierge is located near the spring and was built in 1861. Compared with the construction date of the present-day Église Notre-Dame-du-Mont, the oratory is a later building. Its date adds another chronological reference to the history of Grandfontaine’s religious buildings.

Discover More Destinations

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For the main travel overview: Doubs.