For a stay in Autrechêne, you can plan your time outdoors around two routes of different lengths. The Sentier du Chêne d’Autrage is an 8 km discovery trail that takes 3 hours; the Circuit du Canal du Rhône au Rhin covers 13 km and is listed as taking 4 hours 30 minutes. This gives you a choice between a shorter and a longer outing, with clear timings for both.

Understanding the routes and timings

The Sentier du Chêne d’Autrage starts in Autrechêne at the junction of rue d’Eschêne and chemin de la Ligne. The Circuit is also described as easy and has little elevation gain. It is 5 km longer than the Sentier, and its stated duration is an hour and a half longer. This lets you choose according to distance and the time you have available, without treating the two routes as equivalent. The Circuit follows the Autrechêne–Novillard–Petit-Croix route through Autrechêne.

For cycling directions, the cycle path along the Canal du Rhône au Rhin is also relevant: it follows EuroVelo 6. Details for individual stages may change, so check the specific route before setting out. The cycling directions and the two routes described here offer different ways to plan your time outdoors.

Protected valley landscape and the story of a tree

The Sentier du Chêne d’Autrage passes through the protected natural area Vallée de la Bourbeuse et ses affluents and one of the region’s last remaining lowland valleys. Both the area’s protected status and this rare surviving valley landscape shape the character of the discovery trail. The landscape is a reason in its own right to choose the route; its description connects the trail with a specific natural setting, rather than just a distance.

The Chêne d’Autrage, also known as Le Sans Pareil, is part of the area’s natural and cultural heritage. It was an extraordinary tree of colossal proportions, famous for 800 years. The discovery trail’s name thus points to a story about a tree which, alongside the protected landscape, offers another way to understand the character of the route. Visitors interested in nature and historical connections will find both within the scope of this trail, without needing to treat the two aspects as one and the same.

Architectural and historical traces

The Sentier also includes the remains of the pont à l’estacade, a traditional half-timbered farmhouse in the Sundgau belfortain, and an intercommunal church. These sites represent different aspects of rural and architectural history: a bridge whose remains have survived, a traditional farmhouse, and a church serving several municipalities. Mazarin boundary stones are also found along the way. They once marked the boundaries of the estates of a famous cardinal. Together, these features give the trail a historical dimension as well as a connection to the landscape.

Early references to Eschêne, Autrage and Rechotte

The surviving records for Eschêne, Autrage and Rechotte date to different centuries and relate to different historical contexts. The earliest surviving reference to Eschêne dates from 1105. It appears in a charter concerning a land donation to the Priory of Froidefontaine. Autrage is first mentioned in 1345 and had belonged to the parish of Novillard by that year at the latest. The first recorded reference to Rechotte dates from 1347; the Priory of Froidefontaine also owned land there.

These details bring out the differences between the histories of the settlements: for Eschêne, the historical context is a land donation; for Autrage, it is the mention together with its parish affiliation; and for Rechotte, it is the reference alongside the priory’s landholdings. This makes it possible to follow the sequence of the surviving historical records without treating the three entries as the same event. For planning a stay, these historical traces add another perspective on Autrechêne to the choice between the different routes.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Buc, Chaux, Grosne, Rougegoutte, Novillard, Grosmagny, Cravanche, Frais

For the main travel overview: Territoire De Belfort.