Discover Montbarrey: Forest, Loue and crafts

Montbarrey offers several distinct points of interest to consider when planning a trip: the Loue flows through the southern part of the village, and Montbarrey is one of the nine municipalities in the Val d’Amour that are part of the Forêt de Chaux. The river and the forest therefore have different geographical connections to the destination. The Forêt de Chaux is designated as a special protection area for birds within the Natura 2000 network. If you are considering Montbarrey as a destination, you can take both its connection to the river in the south and its links to the forest landscape into account.

Forest history and a circular walk

Since the 17th century, timber from the Forêt de Chaux has been transported on rafts. A walk offers another way to explore this forest landscape: the Sentier des Radeliers is a PR® circular walking route through the Forêt de Chaux, where you can discover the region’s former forest trades. The historic timber rafting and the circular walk thus represent different aspects of the relationship between the forest and human work.

The described route of the Sentier des Radeliers also leads to Montbarrey: it enters the village via Chemin des Riottes and then follows the D7 towards the church. This means the tour can be understood not only through its forest theme but also through these specific waypoints. When planning your trip, you can consider the circular walk as a link between the Forêt de Chaux, former forest trades and the described route towards the church.

Walking or cycling?

Another option is the Boucle du Val d’Amour, a cycling loop with a different designated format from the Sentier des Radeliers. From Dole, it is reached via Montbarrey on the D7; it then follows the D940 towards La Vieille-Loye. Montbarrey is therefore also a waypoint on a named cycling route. If you are weighing up the activities, you can make a direct comparison: one centres on a PR® circular walk through the forest, while the other is a cycling loop following the described sequence of roads and places.

Crafts in Montbarrey

L’Arbre aux Fouletots invites visitors to Montbarrey to discover the art of net making and net embroidery. The offering includes personalised workshops and courses led by qualified embroidery artists. This focus is clearly different from the routes: rather than a walk or cycling loop, the aim here is to discover a textile craft technique.

One course described in detail is the 18-hour Point de Toile course at L’Arbre aux Fouletots. It includes the loan of professional materials and making a Brise-bise. With its stated duration, you can factor the course into your travel plans as a separate block of time. If you want to schedule a workshop or course, check dates and availability in advance.

Choosing Montbarrey as a destination

You can choose the village based on a particular interest: the Forêt de Chaux and its former forest trades, a cycling loop, or the art of net making and net embroidery. This lets you take the local routes and crafts into account when choosing your destination, without treating a walk, a cycling trip and a course as the same kind of stay.

Discover more destinations: Le Fied, Chaux-des-Crotenay, Chambéria, Fay-En-Montagne, Mont-Sous-Vaudrey, Censeau, Lac Des Rouges Truites, Chapelle-Voland.

For the main travel overview: Jura.