Attractions and Places To See around Hauterive-La-Fresse - Top 20

Very pretty little town.

When you are slowly losing your strength, such a path is wonderful. And when you still have strength, even more so

The Église Saint-Bénigne in Pontarlier is a church dating from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. This church combines Romanesque, Gothic and Franc-Comtoise style elements. The striking clocher porch is topped with an imperial domed roof, also known as a clocher comtois, a traditional feature of Franche-Comté. The roof is covered with glazed tiles. The Église Saint-Bénigne is located in the Haut-Doubs and is dedicated to Saint Bénigne. Since May 19, 1970, the building has been registered as a historical monument. Historically, the church was almost completely rebuilt between 1651 and 1666 on the same site as an original 11th century Romanesque church, of which almost nothing remains (except a 15th century portal). This happened after the passage of the troops of Duke Bernard de Saxe-Weimar during the Thirty Years' War. In 1666 the church was rededicated in honor of Saint Bénigne. The church has suffered serious damage over time from two fires, one in 1680 and one during the Pontarlier fire of 1736. The clocher porch was rebuilt in 1681, and the imperial dome was added in 1753 by architect Nicolas Nicole. In 1970 the church underwent a major restoration, and in 1974 new stained glass windows were created by artist Alfred Manessier and the Lorin de Chartres workshops. The organ, which dates from 1758 and is in Louis XV style, was restored in 1844 and again in 1982.

Pontarlier is a mountain town located 837 meters above sea level in the heart of the Jura Mountains. As the capital of Haut Doubs, it is located at the entrance to a vast area of protected natural areas, where forests, lakes and green meadows are essential for the production of Mont d'Or and Comté cheese. Pontarlier was once known worldwide for its production of absinthe at the beginning of the last century. Today, the city has revived this tradition, with two distilleries once again producing absinthe.

If you are looking for a great adventure in the Swiss Jura, why not visit the Glacière de Monlési, the largest natural ice cave in Switzerland? You can access it on foot from the Col des Sagnettes, on the road between Fleurier and La Brévine. The cave is a karst sinkhole that contains three shafts, leading to a large ice-filled room. You can explore the icy wonders of this underground world, like stalagmites and ice stalactites. But be careful, it is very dangerous to go over the ladder or walk on the ice without the proper equipment and guidance. The Glacière de Monlési is a protected nature reserve and a unique geological phenomenon.

The place in Switzerland with the lowest temperatures in winter: La Brévine is characterized by a harsh and relatively humid climate. In winter, a cold air lake forms in the completely enclosed Vallée de la Brévine during radiation nights (clear skies and little to no wind ensure maximum cooling of the ground via radiation). Temperatures of −30 °C are not uncommon, earning the place the nickname "Siberia of Switzerland". At the La Brévine measuring station, on January 12, 1987, −41.8 °C was recorded, the lowest temperature ever measured at an official MeteoSchweiz station in Switzerland. For the 1991–2020 normal period, the average annual temperature is 5.3 °C, with January at −3.5 °C being the coldest and July at 14.4 °C being the warmest monthly average temperatures. On average, around 183 frost days and 36 ice days are to be expected here. There are an average of 15 to 16 summer days per year, while an average of one heat day is recorded. The MeteoSchweiz measuring station is located at an altitude of 1050 meters.

Pontarlier is the capital of the "green fairy". It is here that the absinthe liqueur so popular in the nineteenth century and originating in the Val de Travers in the Swiss jura was produced industrially. The drink was nicknamed so because of its beautiful green color. She probably made you see fairies because wormwood has a hallucinogenic substance. It was forbidden to consume. Pontarlier is the second highest town in France after Briançon. Its city center is very pleasant.

Nice walk, practicable with a road bike. Slight false flat going up from Pontarlier. Beautiful wooden statues mark the end of the route.