Parc Naturel Régional du Haut-Jura

The Jura Mountains


Rippling along the border between Switzerland and France is this 1780-sq-km regional natural park, a peaceful, under-explored slice of the Jura Mountains. Cyclists and walkers arrive in summer to ply trails in and around Mijoux village; Télésiège Val Mijoux (1320m) is a good starting point. In winter, Station des Rousses ski area has downhill pistes to suit beginners and 200km of dreamy, tree-fringed cross-country routes.

Public transport links are extremely thin, so it's best to have your own wheels.

There are infrequent local buses within the park year-round (see www.jurago.fr), while free navette (shuttle bus) services link some villages during ski season (roughly mid-December to early April).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Jura Mountains attractions

1. Maison du Parc du Haut-Jura

6.86 MILES

Part-museum, part-tourist office, the Maison du Parc is an excellent place to learn about the Jura's flora and fauna, as well as browse old-fangled skis…

2. Musée Romain de Nyon

14.97 MILES

In the foundations of what was a 1st-century basilica, the multimedia display of the Musée Romain lends insight into Nyon’s Roman beginnings as Colonia…

3. Château de Nyon

14.97 MILES

Nyon’s castle was started in the 12th century, modified 400 years later and now houses the town’s historical museum and a rare collection of fine…

4. Musée du Léman

15.02 MILES

Since 1954, this nautically themed museum on the waterfront has documented the history of all things Lac Léman, or as most know it, Lake Geneva.

5. Château de Prangins

15.14 MILES

About 2km north of Nyon, this 18th-century mansion houses a branch of the Musée National Suisse covering Swiss history from 1730 to 1920. Or simply opt…

6. Parc Polaire

15.18 MILES

Get close to scampering chamois, Greenland huskies and wild horses on two-hour guided walking tours around this nature park in Chaux-Neuve, 25km southwest…

7. Château de Coppet

15.6 MILES

This is the former home of Jacques Necker, Louis XVI’s banker and minister of finance, before it was handed down to his daughter, Madame de Staël, after…

8. CERN

17.29 MILES

Founded in 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), 8km west of Geneva, is a laboratory for research into particle physics. It…