Discover Foucherans: Culture, Nature and Hiking

Foucherans brings together sacred architectural history, a circular hiking trail, a rural museum, and botanical themes. When looking for a hotel in Foucherans, these different highlights can guide your trip planning: the church tells the story of several building phases, the Boucle des musées is a specific hiking option, and the arboretum and Belvédère represent plants and views. This gives you a chance to consider in advance which themes are of particular interest during your stay.

The Church and Reliquary Shrine

The present-day Église paroissiale Saint-Philippe et Saint-Jacques was completely rebuilt in 1866; its bell tower dates from 1724. The two dates refer to different parts of the building: the tower is older than the present church and reveals an earlier building phase. This distinction is important when dating the complex.

The Châsse de saint Maximin, located in the parish church and dating from the late 19th century, represents another period. The reliquary shrine displays the saint’s relics through its four glazed sides. Together, the older bell tower, the church rebuilt in 1866, and the later shrine represent different periods in the local history of the church.

The Boucle des musées: Circular Hike and Building History

The Boucle des musées starts in Foucherans and is an easy 11.9-kilometre circular hike. The estimated duration is four hours. This lets you assess the route in terms of both distance and approximate time. Check trail conditions and access before setting out.

In Foucherans, the route first descends to the Lavoir-abreuvoir and then climbs to the Chapelle Saint-Maximin. The washhouse was built in 1855 with limestone walls and a roof of machine-made tiles. A different building history takes centre stage at the chapel: the former Chapelle Saint-Maximin was destroyed in 1777 and rebuilt between 1865 and 1867. Its original construction date is unknown. At the Lavoir, the year of construction and materials stand out; at the chapel, its destruction and reconstruction.

Botanical Diversity and Views

The Arboretum du Grand Bois features numerous tree species, a fern collection, and various perennial woodland plants. The Espace Botanique des Arboretums also includes an orchard with about ten fruit trees. Its botanical themes therefore range from tree species to ferns and woodland plants, as well as fruit trees.

The Belvédère du Gratteris offers a view across the first plateau above Besançon. On a clear day, Mont Poupet can be seen to the south, as well as the Butte de Montfaucon. The plateau is the main view; the two named landmarks come into view when visibility is good. The arboretum’s botanical collections and the view from the Belvédère also differ in what they draw attention to: individual groups of plants or the wider landscape.

Rural Collections at the Musée rural

The Musée rural de Foucherans is housed in a 17th-century farmhouse. The building preserves a stone Tué, typical of farmhouses on the Franche-Comté plateau, as well as a bread oven. The architecture is itself part of the museum’s subject: it offers insight into the features of a regionally typical farmhouse. The collections, in turn, evoke village interiors from before mechanisation. The building and the focus of the collections complement one another, drawing attention both to the construction of a house and to the rural life reflected in interiors of earlier times.

Discover more destinations: Morteau, Saint-Point-Lac, Verrières-de-Joux, Étupes, La Chenalotte, Grand'Combe-Châteleu, Loray, Lods.

For the regional travel overview: Doubs.