Discover Montlebon: churches, Comté and winter sports

Montlebon offers several specific themes to help you plan your trip: its elevation between the Doubs and Meix-Musy, archaeological traces and historic religious buildings, winter sports, and Comté production. Depending on whether you are interested in local history, skiing or regional cheese-making, you will find different highlights.

Landscape between the Doubs and Meix-Musy

The municipality stretches from the banks of the Doubs at an elevation of 770 metres to Meix-Musy at 1,267 metres. The difference between these two elevations is 497 metres. The Doubs is therefore the lower reference point, and Meix-Musy the higher one, in this description of the area. This range provides a geographical framework for understanding Montlebon not only through individual buildings, but also through its elevation.

Local history and religious buildings

Montlebon’s settlement history dates back to antiquity: archaeological remains attest to settlement from that period. These include wheel-rutted roads leading towards La Brévine in neighbouring Switzerland. The religious buildings offer a glimpse into a later, datable period. The Church of the Rosary in Les Fontenottes was built in 1691, the Church of Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Derrière-le-Mont in 1765, and the Chapelle Sainte-Anne in Les Cernoniers in 1877. There are 186 years between the earliest and latest construction dates; together, the three sites trace a chronology from the late 17th to the 19th century. In Sur-la-Seigne, the Church of Saint-Michel stands at the end of the Minims’ monastery.

Winter sports and the Derrière le Mont route

Cross-country skiing is available at Gardot, while downhill skiing is available at Meix Musy. The two options differ both in location and in discipline. To choose, you can first decide whether you would prefer to focus on cross-country or downhill skiing.

The Derrière le Mont route passes the Chapelle Sainte-Anne and loops around the Reculée of Derrière le Mont, a geological feature of the Jura Massif. This route brings together two different perspectives: the Chapelle Sainte-Anne as a religious building and the Reculée as a geological feature. If you would like to take in architecture and landscape together, this offers a specific point of reference.

Grotte de la Grande Cave and Comté

The Grotte de la Grande Cave served as a refuge during the Swedish invasion of 1634. Its entrance is exposed and secured with ropes; it is not recommended for people with a fear of heights. These are two separate considerations when deciding whether to visit: the history explains the cave’s role, while the access conditions are important if you are considering a visit.

The Fromagerie de Montlebon offers guided tours by reservation, during which the entire Comté-making process is explained. The tour is for travellers with a specific interest in how the cheese is made. As visits are by reservation, booking is part of the planning. This lets you consider both the cheese-making theme and the participation requirement.

Discover more destinations: Les Fins, Geneuille, Montbenoît, Geney, Les Fourgs, Maîche, Saint-Point-Lac, Montenois.

For the broader travel overview: Doubs.