Art and local history
Gabriel Saury’s Chemin de Croix is a notable cultural landmark in Orchamps-Vennes. Its figures are terracotta-colored with a gray-granite finish; each station depicts between one and three figures. The number of figures therefore varies from station to station, while the materials and colors visually tie the sequence together. The Stations of the Cross were completed and installed in the church on September 14, 1949. The restored church attracts numerous visitors with this Chemin de Croix. Since January 20, 2022, the Stations of the Cross have been protected as a historic monument. The artistic design, installation in the church, and later protected status thus represent different aspects of its history.
Another glimpse into local history is offered by the model cheese dairy. The site was acquired for it in 1912. The design called for underground cellars and production rooms; the building was formally approved on November 10, 1915. These key dates trace the project from the site’s acquisition to a specific architectural plan and, finally, the building’s approval. The history of the model cheese dairy thus complements the art-historical perspective on the Stations of the Cross with a story about production spaces and building design.
Heights, a circular trail and mountain biking
Bois de la Côte reaches an elevation of 935 meters above Orchamps-Vennes. A hiking option within the municipality also bears this name: the Bois de la Côte circular trail is about 9.5 kilometers long, with an average walking time of around three hours. For planning your day, this walking time means setting aside several hours; the distance and time offer two different guideposts for the hike.
2 V Park in Orchamps-Vennes is a facility for learning the basics of mountain biking. Its features include rollers, banked turns, bridges and slalom sections. The facility is designed for all skill levels; obstacles can be bypassed, and clear signage indicates the difficulty levels. You can therefore choose your route based both on the features on offer and the marked difficulty levels. Your day’s itinerary can thus pair a hike lasting several hours with a mountain biking facility offering a variety of features and clearly marked difficulty levels.
Cave formations and local cuisine
Gouffre des Ravières is located near Orchamps-Vennes. During an introductory session in vertical caving, participants practiced descending and ascending by rope in an 18-meter-deep cave. Another cave in the heights above Orchamps-Vennes is Trou des Curés, also known as Grotte de la Roche aux Corbeaux. It has four entrances; a natural tunnel leads to a 14-meter-deep shaft. The two names refer to different underground features: rope work in a deep cave at Gouffre des Ravières, and entrances, a tunnel and a shaft at Trou des Curés.
For a culinary stop, you can try the Croûte aux morilles “Albert Lebrun” at Restaurant Le Barrey. It adds a specific dish to your interests in culture, hiking and mountain biking.
Discover more destinations: Vuillecin, Dampierre-les-Bois, Montbeliardot, Montlebon, Geneuille, Larnod, Rang, Baume-Les-Dames.
Return to the main travel overview: Doubs.
