Reculée
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Reculée is a geographical term used in the French Jura for blind valleys . There are short, deep valleys that cut through the lower terrain of the mountain range, especially between Arbois and Lons-le-Saunier , and end in rock cirques (the cirques ). They are among the most original scenic attractions in the Jura.
The shape is complex. There are simple short (Vaux-sur-Poligny), long and branched (Baume-les-Messieurs) or lobed (Ladoye-sur-Seille). The width is between a few hundred meters and one kilometer.
The Jura rises in two stages from west to east, from the Saône plain to the peaks along the Swiss border. The first stage separates the plain from the Jurassien plateau , which is 20-30 kilometers wide and runs in small steps towards the high Jura. Behind it rise the mountain ranges of the Montagne Jurassienne , which often drop steeply over 1000 meters on the Swiss side. The four main valleys are the Reculée des Planches , the Culée de Vaux , the Cirque de Ladoye and the Cirque de Baume .
Reculée des Planches
The road into the Reculée des Planches follows the upper reaches of the Cuisance river . In Les Planches-près-Arbois , take the D469 over a stone bridge and after just under one kilometer you come to the Grotte des Planches cave . The Cuisance rises in a cascade from its entrance. Depending on the water level, the cave presents a different picture. When the snow melts or after heavy rainfall, a raging subterranean river flows through it, over which the visitor balances on narrow walkways. A series of pools alternate with rapids on the 800 m walkable area of the cave. During the dry periods, the effects of the work of the water in the stone become visible in the form of polished gutters, stairs and giant pots that have been hollowed out by whirlpools and stones rotating in them like in glacier mills. After two kilometers along the edge of the Reculée, you reach the Belvedere du Cirque du Fer à Cheval viewpoint .
Culée de Vaux
The church in Vaux-sur-Poligny with its brightly colored Burgundy bricks is a relic of a Cluniac monastery. Behind the village, the road climbs up the flank of the Culée de Vaux and reaches the Belvedere des Monts-de-Vaux viewpoint .
Cirque de Ladoye
About 10 km further south of the Culée de Vaux is the Cirque de Ladoye . At the intersection of the D 96 and the D 5, there is a lookout point high above the Cirque de Ladoye with an impressive view down below. A few hundred meters further on, on the D 5 in the direction of Château-Chalon , the D 204 descends steeply in the wall of the Cirques to Ladoix-de-la-Seille , and then continues to follow the bucolic valley.
Cirque de Baume
From the junction of the D 5 with the D 70 (view of Château-Chalon) you first come to the tiny town of Baume-les-Messieurs , half of which consists of the abbey of the same name. The three-branched end of the valley (just under 10 km east of Lons-le-Saunier) is one of the greatest scenic attractions in France. The high rock walls look like they have been sawn out of the karst . The contrast to the deep green valley floor with its streams and the abbey of Baumes-les-Messieurs corresponds to the romantic ideal landscape.
Web links
- Geology of the Reculées (French)