Stage 6
Pontarlier
Col de la Faucille / Pays de Gex Agglo
13 August 2020
Pontarlier, third commune of the Doubs department, named e “capital of the Haut Doubs.
Pontarlier, halfway between Besançon and Lausanne, is today, with its 837 meters of altitude, the highest town in France after Briançon.
The town, with its 18,409 inhabitants, shows a certain dynamism, measured in particular by the richness of its associative life based on 569 associations (cultural, sports, social, leisure, various).
The district of which it is the heart extends over 5,000 hectares of pine and spruce forests. It is divided into highland areas from 600 to 1200 meters above sea level, embracing a narrow strip of high mountains, including the Larmont, which dominates the city (1323 meters).
This relief, these forests, mountains and the Doubs, which runs through the town, inspired the blue, white and green colours of its logo and make it an exceptional place.
The inhabitants of the Haut-Doubs claim this identity, through the land of gastronomy and traditions which is theirs, where “living well” rhymes with “good taste”. The production of Comté cheese and salted meats (labelled products) are part of this know-how to which they hold dear.
The same applies to the local aniseed-flavoured aperitif, the “Pontarlier”, which succeeded absinthe, for which the town was the cradle for more than a century, from 1805 to 1915. Back on the market since 2001, absinthe is now produced by five distilleries that perpetuate the tradition, along with the production of brandies and liqueurs.
A land of contrasts from the Jura mountains to the shores of Lake Geneva, Pays de Gex offers you unique and magical moments.
On the plains, find the dynamism and openness that characterize the shores of Lake Geneva and take advantage of the historical and cultural wealth of the destination: visit Voltaire’s castle, explore Fort l’Écluse and discover CERN, the Pays de Gex will never cease to surprise you.
On the mountain side, the high Jura mountain range and the Valserine valley offer exceptional panoramas: it’s impossible not to be captivated by the view of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva from Mont Rond! The Monts Jura resort will seduce young and old, summer and winter alike.
The Col de la Faucille is the ideal spot for a fun time with the whole family: tobogganing on rails, adventure course, mountain bike initiation, paintball and many other activities allow you to have a good time, 20 minutes from Geneva. It is also the departure point of many hiking trails that allow you to reach the most beautiful summits of our destination.
And for thrill-seekers, don’t miss the new flagship activity of the Pays de Gex: the giant zip line! A record slope of 37% and a speed of up to 90km/h!
Hang on, it’s going to blow your hair out!
