A plateau edge rising to 400 metres, outdoor activities and striking traces of local history give Montenois several possible themes for a stay. Would you like to try different kinds of games, see animals on a walk or explore the history of the commune? You can choose activities based on these interests, from outdoor exercise to historic buildings and archaeological finds.
Activities and Nature in Montenois
Evad’Parc offers several outdoor activities: swingolf, footgolf on a specially designed course, disc golf using flying discs and metal baskets, and greenfoot. Greenfoot is a type of mini golf played with a football. These different formats give you specific points of comparison when choosing: footgolf and greenfoot are not the same game, and disc golf uses different equipment. Swingolf is another outdoor activity option.
The Evad’Parc site covers 22 hectares and is free to enter and open to all. Visitors can encounter the animals cared for there while taking a walk in nature. The site is home to rescued llamas, a wallaby, alpacas, peacocks, sheep, goats and domestic poultry. This combines time outdoors with a chance to see a diverse group of animals, without equating the walk with any of the games on offer.
Acroland Montenois offers a different selection: ten high-ropes courses, an 18-hole mini-golf course and an educational trail. The mini-golf course’s size is clearly specified, while the number of courses gives you a way to assess the high-ropes option. The educational trail adds another way to discover the area. When comparing activities, you can distinguish between games, courses and an educational trail, rather than viewing them as a single programme.
Buildings and Local History
The Saint Georges Church stands at the top of a steep slope and was built in the 18th century. Its location and construction date provide two specific points of reference for viewing the building. Another historic building is the wash house near Rue d’Arcey, built in 1855. Montenois’s Mairie-école (town hall and school) was built in 1866–1867; its architect was Vertet. As a town hall and school building, its name itself points to its two functions.
The dates relating to local economic history also place events in time: a dairy cooperative was founded in Montenois on 3 April 1891 and operated until the Second World War. The Montenois war memorial was erected in 1922 and lists 24 victims of the fighting. Together with the older buildings, these sites offer a look at different periods in the area’s history.
Plateau, Boundary Stone and Archaeological Finds
Montenois lies on a plateau promontory facing east, rising to 400 metres. Its present-day location at the edge of the plateau was chosen for defensive reasons. The landscape and settlement history are therefore connected: the plateau edge is not merely a geographical description, but also helps explain why Montenois was established at its present location.
Another glimpse of history comes from the En Corcelles necropolis. Excavations near a spring uncovered around thirty early medieval graves. The necropolis appears to have been used in the second half of the 7th century by a Germanic population, probably Alemannic. Finds included a scramasax, buckles, necklace beads and belt plates. The cautious description of its use is important: it is presented as probable, not certain.
The Borne des Quatre Fins is a boundary stone where the communes of Beutal, Longevelle-sur-le-Doubs, Lougres and Montenois meet. There is a picnic area at the site. The boundary stone can be reached via a road open to vehicles; signs depicting stylised boundary stones mark the way. There is also a practical difference to note about the circular walk there: it is marked, but its extension to the spring is not. This can help you decide whether to follow the marked loop or plan for the unmarked extension.
When planning your visit, you can explore Montenois according to your interests: the outdoor activities differ in the types of games they offer, while the church, wash house, Mairie-école and boundary stone provide specific historical and geographical points of reference. The archaeological finds add a much earlier period to the area’s history. This lets you shape your stay around particular themes without assuming every site calls for the same kind of visit.
Discover more destinations: Montbéliard, Verrières-de-Joux, Mancenans, Hyèvre-Paroisse, Malbuisson, Recologne, Rochejean, Jougne.
View the broader travel guide: Doubs.
