Why it works here

Two reasons. First, the terrain: forest, lake shore and plateau, with shade for most of the summer day and paths that can be as short or as long as you want. Second, the accommodation: a gîte with a garden and no shared corridors is a completely different experience from a hotel, for the dog and for you. There are no set mealtimes to work around and nobody to disturb.

The best walks with a dog

Around Lake Vouglans

The lake is 35 kilometres long and paths run along much of the shore — shaded, largely flat, and you can turn back whenever you like. Depending on where you start, it can be a twenty-minute stroll or a serious half-day. In summer this is the best place to be before ten in the morning.

The Hérisson waterfalls

Dogs are allowed, on a lead. The full trail is about 7.4 kilometres return, roughly three hours, past 31 falls including the 65-metre Éventail. It is the busiest natural site in the department, so come early — for your dog's sake as much as everyone else's. Note that swimming is not allowed in the pools, for dogs or for people.

The forests of the Haut-Jura

The Haut-Jura regional park has hundreds of kilometres of marked paths through spruce forest, combes and high pasture. The natural shade makes these the right choice when it gets hot, and the variety of terrain keeps a long day interesting.

The belvederes

Many of the best viewpoints in the department are a short walk from a car park — the ones above Lake Vouglans and over the reculées, the cliff-ringed blind valleys, among them. Big views without a hard climb, which suits an older dog as well as a young one.

Where a dog can actually swim

This is the question that catches people out. The Jura has plenty of lakes and rivers, but dogs are not allowed everywhere. Around the big laid-out lakes, some beaches are reserved for people during the summer season. What usually works is to look for the wilder sectors away from the supervised beaches: parts of Lake Vouglans, some sectors of Lake Clairvaux and several rivers regularly offer that kind of access.

Rules are set locally and can change from one commune to the next and from one season to another, so check the local signage or the municipal by-laws before you set off. And remember the Hérisson pools are off limits regardless.

What to take

• A water bottle and a collapsible bowl — there are few fountains on the plateau paths.
• Bags, obviously.
• A lead suited to busy sections, not just the long-line you use at home.
• A towel for after a swim.
• A small first-aid kit if you are going out for a full day.

Rules and good sense

• On a lead near livestock. The plateau is working pasture and the herds are real. This is also where the summer cheese comes from.
• On a lead in nature reserves and wherever signage asks for it, including the waterfall trail.
• Ticks. They are present here. Check your dog after woodland and long grass, and keep his treatment up to date before you travel.
• Heat. In hot spells walk early in the morning or at the end of the day, and prefer the forest to the open plateau.
• Take everything home, and give way to other walkers. This is a quiet department and it stays that way because people behave.

When to come

Spring and autumn are the best seasons with a dog: milder temperatures, far fewer people, and the water is still worth a swim in September. Summer is excellent too if you plan around the heat — forest walks in the morning, lake shore in the evening. Winter is a different proposition: the plateau paths can be under snow and the waterfall trail icy, but the lake shore stays walkable and empty.

Where to stay

Not every gîte takes animals, so this is worth settling before anything else. Two of our properties are particularly suited to a stay with a dog:

• The cabin at Sarrogna, surrounded by meadow — the most natural fit of all our properties for a dog.
• Our gîte in the lakes region with private spa and sauna, at Orgelet, which takes animals for a supplement.

Conditions vary from one property to another — number of animals, supplement, particular rules — so write to us before booking and we will confirm exactly what applies to the gîte you have in mind.

For the walks in detail, see our guide to hiking in the Jura, and for the lake itself Lake Vouglans. The Hérisson waterfalls trail has the full detail on that walk, including the lead requirement.

Questions before booking? The easiest way to reach us is by email: write to us in English and we will reply in English.

Question fréquentes The Jura with a dog: your questions