Mont d'Or (Vallorbe)

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Mont d'Or
The Falaises of the Mont d'Or

The Falaises of the Mont d'Or

height 1463  m
location Franche-Comté , France
Mountains law
Coordinates 46 ° 44 '1 "  N , 6 ° 21' 24"  E Coordinates: 46 ° 44 '1 "  N , 6 ° 21' 24"  E
Mont d'Or (Vallorbe) (Bourgogne-Franche-Comté)
Mont d'Or (Vallorbe)

The Mont d'Or is a mountain peak in the French Jura , in the Doubs department , not far from the Swiss border, north of Vallorbe . Its height is 1463  m . The ridge of the Mont d'Or is around 2.5 km long and faces south-north. The southern slope of the Mont d'Or with the projection of Pralioux belongs to Switzerland.

The Mont d'Or is bordered in the east by the Jougnena valley and in the south by the Vallorbe basin, through which the Orbe flows. To the west, a wide ridge leads over to the Risoux and to the north, the Mont d'Or is separated from the neighboring Morond by a saddle (the lowest point is 1345  m ) . The watershed between the catchment areas of the Rhine and Rhone runs over the ridge of Mont d'Or . The mountain ridge is characterized by the steep cliffs (falaises) facing east , which reach a maximum height of 200 m. A characteristic pioneer vegetation has developed on the scree slopes at the foot of this rock face. The ridge falls only slowly towards the west.

The rock material of the Mont d'Or comes from marine sediments of the upper Jurassic period ( Malm limestone ). In structural geological terms, the Mont d'Or and the Morond form a broad anticline , which is interrupted in the east by the deeply cut valley of the Jougnena. This valley runs along a significant shifting of leaves , a fault line that runs across the Jura from Montricher to Pontarlier .

On the ridge of the Mont d'Or there is extensive pasture land with subalpine vegetation. The pâturages boisés (forest pastures) typical of the Jura begin below around 1350 m . The steep slopes, on the other hand, are densely forested.

Today the Mont d'Or region is a popular summer hiking and winter sports area. Several ski and chair lifts (only in winter) open up the eastern slope below the Falaises and the northwest slope of the mountain. The ridge of the Mont d'Or has been crossed under the 6.1 km long Tunnel du Mont d'Or on the Lausanne - Vallorbe - Dijon railway line since 1915 .

The cheeses Mont d'Or and Vacherin Mont-d'Or are named after the region of Mont d'Or .