Graye-Et-Charnay: ViaCluny, the Suran Valley and Cultural Heritage

Graye-Et-Charnay lies in the rural valley of the Suran. The area consists of three hamlets: Graye, Charnay and Les Carrats; the agricultural zone is mainly used for cattle farming. Several specific themes can shape your trip: the ViaCluny network of trails, the nature inventory areas in the Suran Valley, and architectural and industrial history. If you are looking for a hotel in Graye-Et-Charnay, you can first consider whether hiking, nature or historical landmarks will be the focus of your stay.

Nature in the Suran Valley

The Le Suran nature inventory area includes Graye-Et-Charnay and covers 716.31 hectares. The landscape is divided into meadows bordered by hedges and small wooded areas, with riverside vegetation growing along the river. The national inventory description dated June 12, 2025, records five established beaver families breeding in Le Suran. This means open meadows and the river corridor with its vegetation sit side by side in the area.

The Falaise du Fays et Grotte de Gigny nature inventory area also includes Graye-Et-Charnay and is part of the Natura 2000 Petite Montagne du Jura network. The area description notes a mosaic of open and wooded ecosystems. Grotte de Gigny is also part of the regional network of caves used by Schreibers' bent-wing bats in Franche-Comté. In the inventory description updated on October 1, 2014, rock crevices at Falaise du Fays are listed as nesting sites for peregrine falcons.

Hiking on ViaCluny

ViaCluny is a 550-kilometer network of marked hiking trails between Switzerland and France. One route follows the Suran to Graye-Et-Charnay and then continues to Gigny. Check trail conditions before setting out.

Church and viewpoint

The Église Saint-Saturnin stands on a natural rocky outcrop. A hundred-year-old lime tree beside the church offers panoramic views over the Suran Valley. The rocky setting, the church building and the valley views are three specific features that characterize the area beyond its hiking trails.

Traces of stone quarrying and milling history

At the Carrière des Carrats, the documented history of quarrying is linked to a surviving piece of equipment. In the 19th and 20th centuries, quarrying in Graye-Et-Charnay was carried out using stepped or pit methods. A historic winch used to extract and move stone blocks is still preserved in the quarry. Anyone interested in local industrial heritage will find a tangible link here to the work once done in the quarry.

Moulin des Prés can also be understood through historical records from different periods. The part of the building east of the river was rebuilt by Joseph Convert in 1850 and was described in 1891 as a grain mill and hemp mill. A description from 1993 recorded a water turbine, one of the two metal overshot waterwheels, and three pairs of millstones still at the Moulin. At the time, the waterwheel measured approximately three meters in diameter and one meter in width.

Discover more destinations: Thoirette, Bonlieu, Annoire, Morez, Blois-Sur-Seille, Lamoura, Châteauneuf, Lons-Le-Saunier

For an overview of the wider region: Jura.