Two information boards in the centre of Prémanon provide details about trails that start in the village. This opens up various options for planning the day: from a loop of a set length to a short detour to a waterfall or activities in the snow. The routes and activities on offer show which option takes centre stage.
Choose hikes by route and starting point
The Le Pont Perroud loop is 8.3 kilometres long and starts and ends in the village centre. If you are looking for a shorter walk, you can plan the out-and-back route from the footbridge to the Cascade du Bief de la Chaille: it covers a total of 400 metres. The waterfall is a tufa waterfall. You can therefore choose between the 8.3-kilometre Le Pont Perroud loop and the 400-metre out-and-back route from the footbridge to the Cascade du Bief de la Chaille.
Another hike, Prémanon d’Amont, starts at the Jardin des Randonneurs, passes through the village centre and then heads towards Prémanon d’Amont. This gives you different starting points to choose from: the Le Pont Perroud loop starts in the village centre, while the hike to Prémanon d’Amont starts at the Jardin des Randonneurs. The information boards in the centre also provide details about routes on the Grande Traversée du Jura. These can be travelled on foot, by bicycle or mountain bike, on horseback, on skis or on snowshoes.
Winter activities and access conditions
The Site Nordique de Prémanon offers cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledging, dog sledding and Nordic ski touring. The Espaces Libertés in the village are free, groomed areas. They are open to pedestrians, snowshoers, cross-country skiers and sledgers. Alongside the activities available at the Site Nordique, there are therefore also areas whose use explicitly includes these groups.
The access point to the Nordic trails at La Darbella is beside the D25. The trails that start there are mostly easy and lead towards the Forêt du Massacre. If you are planning a seasonal visit to the forest, it is also important to know that it is a designated biotope zone and that access conditions apply. Check them locally before planning your visit.
Nature and history along the way
The Sentier des Explorateurs is a hilly woodland walk for families interested in nature. It was proposed by children from Prémanon primary school during the 2018–2019 school year. In the forest near the village, there are traces and clues to life in the air, on the ground and underground. These three areas give the walk a clear focus on discovery: it combines woodland and nature observation rather than simply describing a route between two points.
The waterfall and the Belvédère des Maquisards also offer different points of interest. At the Cascade du Bief de la Chaille, the focus is on the short walk from the footbridge to a tufa waterfall. The Belvédère des Maquisards commemorates a significant event from the end of the Second World War; an information board explains it. The waterfall offers a short nature detour, while the belvedere is a place to remember the historic event.
Plan your stay around your chosen activities
When choosing where to stay, it may help to first decide which activities you want to shape your visit. If you are planning the Le Pont Perroud hike, use its start and finish in the village centre as a point of reference; the Jardin des Randonneurs is the starting point for the hike to Prémanon d’Amont. For a winter stay, the Nordic activities mentioned above and the Espaces Libertés are additional options. When choosing a hotel, compare its exact location with the starting points and activities that matter to you. This keeps your plans focused on what you actually intend to do, rather than relying solely on a general theme such as hiking or winter sports.
Discover more destinations: Villeneuve-sous-Pymont, Clairvaux-Les-Lacs, Villard-Sur-Bienne, Souvans, Saint-Maurice-Crillat, Champrougier, Offlanges, Mouchard.
For the broader travel overview: Jura.
