Hôtel de la Vallée Heureuse

The Jura Mountains


Inside a converted 18th-century mill, this eccentric country hotel overhangs a babbling stream 1km south of Poligny. The 'Happy Valley' is a labyrinth of stairs and timber beams, surrounded by gardens that brim with flowers and fruit trees. The whitewashed rooms are tasteful and trim, and the best have garden-view balconies.

The on-site Asian fusion restaurant (evenings only, mains €17 to €22) doesn't compete with Poligny's other dining options but it's good value and the multilingual service is friendly and efficient.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Jura Mountains attractions

1. Musée de la Vigne et du Vin du Jura

5.8 MILES

The history behind the Jura's prized vin jaune (barrel-matured wine with a distinctive yellow hue) is told at this understated museum, between the turrets…

2. Maison de Louis Pasteur

5.87 MILES

Louis Pasteur's laboratory and workshops have been preserved at his familial house, which still sports its 19th-century fixtures and fittings. Digital …

3. Abbaye Impériale

9.01 MILES

Baume-les-Messieurs' abandoned Benedictine Abbaye Impériale has an exquisite polychrome Flemish altarpiece dating from the 16th century (the time when the…

4. Cascades des Tufs

10.31 MILES

Near the Grottes de Baume, the Tufs waterfalls slosh dramatically over limestone boulders into the Dard River. There are picturesque walking trails nearby.

5. Grottes de Baume

10.38 MILES

The 30-million-year-old Grottes de Baume are secreted away in the cliffs 2km south of Baume-les-Messieurs. On guided tours, visitors can weave their way…

6. Grande Saline

10.6 MILES

The salty history of the Jura is well-explained in the town of Salins-les-Bains, which derives its very name from the salt trade. Step inside the Grande…

7. Saline Royale

14.29 MILES

These wondrously symmetrical early–Industrial Age saltworks were designed to be an 'ideal city' by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. Though Ledoux's plans never came…

8. Musée Pasteur

21.02 MILES

Louis Pasteur (1822–95), who developed the first rabies vaccine and, of course, pasteurisation, spent his first three years in Dole. His childhood home in…