Border-hopping on the Doubs 3b: Biaufond to Villers-le-lac

We are well-rested after our break here in Biaufond. We have been following the River Doubs (pronounced "do" but with a short vowel sound) from Valentigney via a Roman amphitheatre, a ruined castle, a charming Swiss town where an Irish monk shared his cave with a bear, and a village split in two by the Treaty of Vienna in 1815.

We have seen much more than this, of course, and have not had time to discover all that the geology of the valley has to offer. We had to forgo a walk to the Bief Waterfall (Chute du Bief) in its fairy glen, the majestic views from the Corniche (escarpment) de Goumois, and only the adrenalin rush-seekers amongst us climbed the Ladders of Death.

We are now en route for Villers-le-lac, a walk of over 5 hours, admiring the impressive gorges and the Saut du Doubs waterfall on the way. We'll cross a picturesque little river-lake with two names, dream of holidaying in a shoreside cabin and enjoy the ornithological treat of circling kites, diving grebe, stalking heron and gliding swans - and we'll wish we could stay here forever. 

We've skipped about four hours of the walk and missed the controversial Châtelot dam to arrive at the foot of the Saut du Doubs, the impressive waterfall which separates France and Switzerland. The view is obviously much better from the French side than from the Swiss; an attractively arched wood and metal footbridge further upstream facilitates the crossing.

The site has seen a lot of improvements in recent years: the slippery footpaths have been either resurfaced or replaced by steps and the platforms are now worthy of this natural monument. Between the fall and the boats there are quite a few boutiques and cafés; buy your postcards from the one nearest the waterfall. They are much cheaper and the prices of other souvenirs are reasonable.

"Saut" means "jump" or "leap" but don't try it here! It is sometimes possible to cross the river on foot just above the fall in time of drought, but it is not recommended.

Before taking the boat to either Les Brenets (la Suisse) or Villers-le-lac (la France) we're going to walk through the forest to another viewing platform which will allow to look down on the gorges and the landing stages on both sides of the river. The Doubs opens out here into a little lake (not the one mentioned above) before its transformation into the rapids that lead to the waterfall.

There are some quite striking geological features here, most of which are explained on the boat-ride. Depending on the company and the time of year, you may have to ask for the commentary to be translated into English.

Take your fill of the view, and keep a lookout for red kites and see the site below for the difference between the red (royal) and black species.

Well, we're aboard at last and heading upstream through the gorges. Of the features of the trip I have photographed only one:

The King of Prussia's cave is on the Swiss side, so named because visited by William III and IV in 1814 and 1842 respectively, presumably for a spot of fishing. In 1707, fearing French, and therefore Catholic influence, Neuchâtel offered the crown to a Protestant Prussian prince. Apart from a brief interval during the Napoleonic Wars, Neuchâtel remained Prussian for 140 years.

If you doze off during the cruise, you might wake up thinking you've arrived in Italy; the flag of the canton of Neuchâtel is a green, white and red vertical tricolor. Other things to notice are the upside-down evergreen above the cave, the high-water marks opposite, showing the level of the Doubs in years of flood, a high-diving point and the pretty cabins, accessible only by boat.

The border between the two countries is in the middle of the river along this stretch; further downstream all of the water is French. As the boat leaves the enclosure of the gorges, the river opens out into a lake called either le Lac des Brenets (S) or le Lac de Chaillexon (F). The river is about 750m above sea level here, so it can get pretty cold in winter. See links below.

If you are on a Swiss boat, your journey ends half-way up the lake; the French boats continue up the Doubs to Villers-le-lac, giving voyagers the opportunity to enjoy the meanders, which are almost entirely in France.

Well, that's the end of our border-hopping experience; I hope you've enjoyed it. It would be good to continue to the source of the River via le Lac St Point and then look over into Switzerland from the summit of Mont d'Or, which also gives its name to a very special cheese! These pleasures are perhaps for another time.