Bois-D'amont: Woodcraft and Winter Trails

Bois-D'amont lies in an ancient glacial valley between Lac des Rousses in France and Lac de Joux in Switzerland. The destination combines a clearly defined landscape with two particularly prominent themes: spruce woodcraft and the seasonal offerings of Nordic winter sports. It also has hiking and mountain biking trails in the Forêt du Risoux, as well as a cross-border hiking route. During your stay, you can choose between cultural history, trails and winter activities.

Woodcraft and local history

In the 19th century, Bois-D'amont specialised in processing spruce wood for boissellerie and tabletterie. The Musée de la Boissellerie is housed in a restored former sawmill and conveys the town's spruce-related identity and its woodworking tradition. This provides a way to understand local history through the connection between raw materials, craftsmanship and a former place of work.

The Association des Gardiens de la Boissellerie also works to share the town's craft and cultural heritage. The immersive show “Rêves dans la maison de Madeleine” is based on accounts from Bois-D'amont residents. Alongside the craft tradition, the presentation also centres on voices from the town.

The Espace artisanal Bois d'Amont offers workshops for adults and children, a shop and temporary exhibitions. As workshop and exhibition availability can change, check what is currently on offer before your visit.

Hiking to the Swiss border

The “L’Orbe et le mur frontière” route starts at the Office de Tourisme de Bois-D'amont and leads to the Swiss border. There, a boundary marker and a border wall mark the course of the border. The 4.2-kilometre route is classified as a very easy hike, with interpretive stops along the way. This gives you both a specific distance and an indication of the level of difficulty for planning purposes. Seasonal conditions can affect access, so it is advisable to check them before setting out.

Nordic activities in winter

The seasonal offerings at the Site Nordique de Bois d'Amont include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sled rides, outings with a musher, Nordic-style ski touring and walks on footpaths. Two trails from Bois-D'amont can be used with both cross-country skis and snowshoes, providing access to the Grande Traversée du Jura. These connections depend on snow conditions and operating conditions.

On the “Les Marais” route, the cross-country ski trail runs alongside the river and passes below the Les Marmousets recreation area. There is a secure area for learning to ski through play, as well as a freely accessible sledding hill. These winter activities are also seasonal. If you plan to use the connecting trails or visit Les Marmousets, check the current conditions in advance.

Trails in the Forêt du Risoux

The Forêt du Risoux lies north of Lac des Rousses, between Bois-D'amont, Les Rousses and Bellefontaine, and extends into neighbouring Switzerland. Numerous marked hiking and mountain biking trails run through the forest. The wooded area therefore complements the specific details about the border route with more ways to explore the region on foot or by mountain bike.

Discover more destinations: Les Bouchoux, Chaux-des-Crotenay, Le Deschaux, Barretaine, Pont-D'héry, Longchaumois, Uxelles, Montmorot.

For the broader travel overview: Jura.