Les Alliés: Hiking Routes, History and Saugeais

Explore Les Alliés through its local history and the routes that pass through or arrive in the village. When planning your trip, you can compare different themes: historical connections, cross-border routes, a long and challenging GR hike, or a viewpoint overlooking the Alps. The routes differ in their course and length; these differences can help you narrow down a tour idea for your stay.

Local History and the Saugeais

The name Les Alliés was confirmed for the municipality by decree on October 14, 1915. A much older reference dates back to 1127, when Les Alliés was listed as one of the eleven villages of the Saugeais in a land grant from Landry, the Sire de Joux, to the religious community of Montbenoît. The two dates represent different historical contexts. The year 1127 places the village in the historical list of Saugeais villages; the 1915 decree marks the confirmation of its name.

Les Alliés is part of the Saugeais. The Saugeais is considered a mid-mountain landscape of fir trees and juniper, old, low-set Comtois farmhouses, numerous walking paths and several scenic peaks. The farmhouses are known for their welcoming hospitality. The regional character is thus defined by nature, architecture and walking routes. Walking paths and scenic peaks offer a different scale from the long, specifically named routes that pass through Les Alliés.

Religious Heritage

The Sainte-Foy parish church houses the Marie-Marthe-Françoise bell. Two statues of adoring angels depict kneeling biblical figures in a devotional setting. The bell is associated with the name of the church; the statues are notable for the posture and devotional context of the figures they depict. Together, these different religious connections offer a glimpse into the local heritage.

Hiking Routes and Viewpoint

Two cross-border routes follow different courses: the Vy aux Moines passes through Les Alliés between the Abbaye de Montbenoît and the Abbaye de Môtiers in Switzerland. The Route Crêtes franco-suisses – No. 35 briefly passes through Switzerland, then follows the Ruisseau des Étraches to the French village of Les Alliés. The Vy aux Moines therefore connects two abbeys; for Route No. 35, the Swiss section and the path along the stream are part of the route to the village.

The French section of the Vy aux Moines is designated as a combined hiking and mountain biking route. Route details may change, so it is worth checking the course before planning. The Grande Traversée du Jura à pied is on a different scale: this challenging GR hiking route passes through Les Alliés, is 237.1 kilometers long and is designed to take 20 days.

The Rochers du Cerf viewpoint on the Côte du Cerf route offers views of the Jura ridges and peaks in the Pays Horloger and Haut-Doubs, as well as the Alps. Visibility at the viewpoint can vary. If you choose this view as the focus of your tour, take natural conditions into account when planning.

Discover more destinations: Villers-Le-Lac, Chaux-Neuve, Malbuisson, Foucherans, Les Fontenelles, Charquemont, Lavans-Vuillafans, Grandfontaine-Sur-Creuse

For the wider travel overview: Doubs.