De la Suize à l'Aujon

Charming, but also surprising, the Suize Valley invites you to be curious and gourmet. You'll love its green setting, nestled between a capricious river, a rich historical heritage and tasty local produce. Your journey begins in Rolampont, with its Church of St Pierre-ès-Liens dating from 1766. It was built to the designs of Claude Nicolas Ledoux, architect of the famous Arc-et-Senans saltworks. In Faverolles, you can admire the remains of the largest known Gallo-Roman mausoleum in north-east France. Life-size lions, tritons and theatrical masks can all be seen at the archaeological workshop. You will then head for Marac, a charming village where a medieval dovecote, castle, town houses and fountain stand alongside the river, before crossing Ormancey and Vauxbons. Just as bucolic as the Suize Valley, the Aujon Valley, with its alternating woodland and meadows, takes you to Saint-Loup-sur-Aujon and Giey-sur-Aujon. In Saint-Loup, enter the courtyard of the convent of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, founded in 1838, and admire its neo-Gothic chapel. You will return to the Suize valley via Bugnières, a village renowned for the cut stone that was extracted from its quarries, and then on to the former Maison-Dieu in Mormant. Founded in the 11th century, the site was run by the Augustinians, Templars and then Hospitallers. With two original buildings, it is now one of the major sites in the history of roadside hospitals in France. You will then pass through Leffonds, dominated by the flamboyant neo-Gothic church of St Denis. Your loop ends as you return to Rolampont via Villiers-sur-Suize, a lively village bathed by the Suize, with a charming square, fountain and wash-house.