The Jura Mountains are located in the eastern part of France on the border of Switzerland in 200-1,500 meters’ altitude. It is a popular skiing resort in the winter and a beautiful mountain landscape in the summer, ideal for all kinds of outdoor activities. The Jura Mountains have a wonderful landscape with green forests, purling streams, crystal-clear rivers, roaring waterfalls, peaceful lakes and white mountaintops. In this part of France, the watchmakers are still making watches, and in the farm dairies, they prepare numerous local, delicate cheeses.

The landscape of the Jura Mountains

The landscape of the northern Jura Mountains is very colourful with green forests, blue lakes, golden tides in the harvest season and ochre vine fields. In the central area, you will find small wine villages and castles, shepherd landscape, limestone rocks, grottos, roaring waterfalls, small purling rivers and historic places.
The high Jura Mountains in the South give a dizzying feeling of the glorious views and are characterised by coniferous forests, valleys and ravines as well as glacier lakes.
All over the Jura Mountains, you will find a spectacular sight in the morning when the mist rises from the lakes and the rivers.

Large cities of the Jura Mountains: Lons-le-Saunier

Lons-le-Saunier is the largest city of the Jura Mountains. It has a rich offer of culture, sports, shops, cafes and restaurants as well as a charming city centre by La Place de la Liberté.

Tourist attractions in the Jura Mountains

The largest tourist attractions for a holiday in the Jura Mountains are the great offer of outdoor activities. The Jura Mountains, however, also offer other experiences, such as grotto visits, wine-tasting in the castles and wine cellars, spas as well as ceramics and stoneware workshops in Salins-les-Bains.

Sports activities in the Jura Mountains

In the Jura Mountains, there is a wonderful landscape that encourages holiday with outdoor activities in the summer as well as in the winter. The possibilities are plenty, but here are a few examples: trekking, cycling, canoeing, climbing, golfing, angling, skiing, swimming, horseback riding and adventure activities.

Gastronomic characteristics of the Jura Mountains

The cuisine of the Jura Mountains offers smoked sausages, chicken from Bresse, local cheese, such as le Comté, la Vache qui Rit, Morbier and Bleu de Gex, walnut oil, fish from meltwater lakes and local beer.
The area also produces wine. The most famous wines are Vin Jaune, Vin de Paille and Macvin.

The climate of the Jura Mountains

The Jura Mountains have a temperate climate with hot and sunny summers and rough winters with lots of snow in the southern Jura Mountains.
There is no more rain here than in the rest of the country, but when it does rain, it is often heavy.

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from Maison de la France. Photographers: E. Chatelain, and F. Milochau.