What are the most beautiful waterfalls in the Jura? Discover them on a nature getaway!
Are you planning to visit the Jura? Or do you know the region well, but want to discover more? Dotted with rivers and streams, the region is home to numerous waterfalls that are well worth a visit. Whether bathed in summer light or shrouded in snow, they can be visited in any season.
The water and its shimmering reflections, its song as it crashes against the rock, the ripples caused by the impact, the gentle rustle of the surrounding nature… Does the sight of a waterfall move you too? Here are the 11 most beautiful waterfalls in the Jura!
1. The Hedgehog Falls
Photo credit: Shutterstock / de midgardson
The Hérisson waterfalls are one of the Jura’s most emblematic tourist attractions. Located in the heart of the lake district, they are easily accessible, so you can take in the sights on a leisurely stroll, even with children! Here, seven waterfalls await you, including the most emblematic.
The best known, but also the most spectacular, is undoubtedly the Éventail waterfall. At 65 metres high, it takes its name from its staircase-like structure. A breathtaking sight. The site’s second-highest waterfall is right on its heels, the Grand Saut, whose waters rise to a height of 60 metres before crashing down to the foot of a rocky enclosure. Finally, the Gour Bleu is more modest in size, but no less worth a visit. Here, the charm works in an entirely different way: the quivering water of the cascade flows into a setting of striking colors. Emerald green, opal, ochre… but no blue, despite what the name might suggest!
2. La Billaude waterfall
Photo credit: Shutterstock / De Marina VN
The Cascade de la Billaude is also known as the Cascade de Claude Roy. In fact, it’s named after a lumberjack who, attracted by the high fir trees, fell to his death from a height of 28 metres.
Situated at the bottom of the steep Lemme valley, near the village of Siam, the cascade de la Billaude offers a landscape that seems straight out of a fairy tale. For a long time, access to the site was difficult, but today it boasts metal fittings that enable visitors to get close to this natural wonder.
3. Gorges de l’Abîme
Photo credit: Shutterstock / De Guenaelle Chapuis
The Cascade des Combes is located on the site of the Gorges de l’Abîme, a tumultuous torrent that has carved out narrow gorges in its path, right in the heart of the Haut-Jura. A two-kilometre trail takes you through this timeless place, but beware: some passages are narrow and slippery! The Combes waterfall cascades into a green pool lost in the middle of the forest. It’s a marvellous, intimate sight, and one that the poet Alphonse de Lamartine is said to have loved.
Along the way, you’ll also discover veritable works of art, sculpted by the water over time and offering visitors an unusual landscape: the marmites de géants. Finally, stop off at the trou de l’Abîme, a water reservoir whose particularly deep color actually conceals an astonishing peculiarity: 45 meters deep galleries lie beneath!
4. The Tufs de Baume-les-Messieurs waterfall
Photo credit: Shutterstock / De HUANG Zheng
The Tufs de Baume-les-Messieurs waterfall is perhaps the most beautiful waterfall in the Jura. It takes its name from the rock of which it is composed: tuff. Sedimentary in origin, tuff is formed by micro-organisms, which cause moss to form, giving the waterfall its distinctive color and shape. Often dry in summer, the waterfall is best visited in spring, after the rain. It then reveals its full potential, unfurling its bubbling waters over this impressive mass of limestone and green moss.
Close to the waterfall is Baume-les-Messieurs, classified as one of France’s most beautiful villages. Be sure to visit its abbey, caves and majestic lookouts.
5. The Tufs waterfall near Arbois
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The Cascade des Tufs near Arbois should not be confused with this waterfall. Smaller in size, it is also more intimate. It’s located on a private site, but is still accessible.
This beautiful waterfall is fed by the Cuisance river and flows into the Dar’s basins, giving the place an irresistible magical character. Easily accessible in less than 10 minutes, it’s the perfect place to recharge your batteries. For hikers, the surrounding trails are ideal with good walking shoes.
6. The Langouette gorges
Photo credit: Shutterstock / De LI Xiaoyu
Near Champagnole, in the Haute Vallée de la Saine, you’ll find the Langouette gorges. Narrow, deep and tumultuous, they offer a breathtaking landscape.
You can reach it easily via footbridges along the Saine, allowing you to admire magnificent panoramas during an hour-long stroll. Finally, the waterfall rises vertiginously before you. If you’re brave enough, you can go off the beaten track to the source of the waterfall to make the most of it.
7. The Queue-de-Cheval waterfall
You can admire the Queue-de-Cheval waterfall at close quarters on a two-kilometre marked trail through the forest. Children and vertigo sufferers will have no trouble.
Located not far from Saint-Claude, the waterfall is best visited after the rain. Its waters crash to the ground in two 30-metre jumps, a mesmerizing sight especially from below. One of the most beautiful waterfalls in the Jura.
8. Moulinet waterfall
For nature lovers, the Cascade du Moulinet is a real hidden treasure. An unmarked path takes you there in just 10 minutes, and you may well be alone: few tourists visit! Yet both the path and the waterfall are superb.
The 10-metre-high waterfall is set against the ruins of an ancient mill. You’ll appreciate its picturesque charm and, above all, the enchanting atmosphere that pervades the place.
9. The Vouivre waterfall
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Richard Bowden
The Vouivre waterfall is located in the Haut-Jura region, in the south of the département, near Saint-Claude. This beautiful waterfall is colored by a legend that has come down to us through the ages.
Indeed, it was said that a vulture came to drink from it. This fearsome creature, a cross between a woman and a winged serpent, owed her vision to a priceless jewel, the Escarmouche. To bathe, she would place it on the shore, in the moss or under a rock. She was then vulnerable: the perfect opportunity for thieves! But those who were caught were inevitably killed.
Legend aside, the sight of the waterfall pouring into this emerald basin is well worth the detour. A 4-kilometre trail leads to the waterfall.
10. The Flumen waterfalls
Photo credit: Shutterstock / images01
Last but not least, the Flumen waterfalls are a must if you want to discover the most beautiful waterfalls to be seen in the Jura. The Flumen (Latin for « river ») rises in the Lac de Lamoura before crashing to the bottom of a deep valley, surrounded by peaks reaching 1,000 metres in altitude.
This magnificent landscape can be explored on a hike of barely an hour, whatever the season. In summer, the trail is teeming with flora and fauna, while in winter, a blanket of snow gives the site an atmosphere of purity and mystery.