Pont-D'héry: Nature, Forest and Cultural Heritage

Pont-D'héry offers several starting points for a trip where nature, outdoor activities and local history can all play a part. Topics range from karst landscapes and caves to walks and carriage rides, as well as local products and historic buildings. To plan your trip, you can first decide whether to focus mainly on the landscape and wildlife, an organised excursion programme, or architectural and industrial history.

Landscape and nature

In the Forêt des Moidons area of Pont-D'héry, karst erosion has formed sinkholes and caves. These caves are home to lesser and greater horseshoe bats. This brings striking landforms and the presence of two bat species together in one nature-focused theme. The Forêt des Moidons, with its tumuli, is also a destination for walks.

Depending on the season, the Prés d'Héry is either a lake of about four hectares or a meadow. The change between water and meadow makes the season an essential part of the landscape there. The seasonal transformation of the Prés d'Héry sits alongside other natural attractions in Pont-D'héry: the Cascade de Fauperrier and the gorges of the Furieuse.

Walks, carriage rides and regional products

The Écuries de la Chaux Denis offer carriage rides through the Forêt des Moidons. This makes the forest a setting for two different activities: it is a destination for walks and also a carriage-ride route. Rides are available by reservation only and for a minimum of two people. Check the reservation conditions and availability before you travel. The carriage-ride programme includes a tasting of meal platters prepared by Les Fumés du Jura in Pont-D'héry.

The tasting is part of the carriage-ride programme; a sausage with Comté, offered at the Moutaine shop in Pont-D'héry, is a separate product. It is made by Salaisons Thaurin. If you are interested in the product, check availability in advance, as the selection may change. This distinguishes two different food-related experiences: a tasting as part of a ride that requires a reservation, and a product available in the shop.

Industrial history and the church

At Moutaine in Pont-D'héry, the raised base of the former blast furnace and the charging openings of two lime kilns have been preserved. Charging openings are openings through which material is fed into a furnace. The surviving remains therefore refer to two different types of furnace: the former blast furnace and the two lime kilns.

The church of Pont-D'héry has a domed bell tower dating from the 17th century. Its altar is made from an authentic millstone from Moutaine. Here, you can see two distinct historic details: a dated architectural feature and an altar made from a specific type of stone. Moutaine is thus associated both with the surviving industrial facilities and with the origin of the millstone used for the church altar.

For trip planning, these themes differ in nature: the Prés d'Héry changes with the seasons, carriage rides require a reservation and a minimum of two people, and the church and industrial facilities offer their own historical points of interest.

Discover more destinations: La Chassagne, Le Fied, Sirod, Chille, Dampierre, Mérona, Grange-De-Vaivre, Doucier.

For the broader travel overview: Jura.