We were heading across the north of Italy on our way to Austria when two friends, currently walking the Francigena through Italy, reminded me that no trip to this part of the world is truly complete without one having first walked some hills. At the time, we were driving through Belluno Province in the heart of the Venetian Dolomites and, therefore, we decided to take a day out near the small town called Arsie. Vanya found us a campsite (Camping Gajole) on the banks of Lake Corlo and, after a little ‘googling’, I discovered what appeared to be a good little walk around the lake. It was some photos (well, one photo actually) and an enthralling article on the raccontaviagi.it website that whet my appetite for this particular hike. I’m much obliged raccontaviagi!
Another, even bigger, thank you has to go to yet another site I stumbled upon while googling the Lago di Corlo – this is the magicoveneto.it website. Anything you want to know about hiking in the Veneto Region (and a great deal more) is there. I’ll use that site whenever we return to Veneto.
The raccontaviagi photo which set me off
Lake Corlo is an artificial lake in that it was caused by the damming of the Cismon River in 1954. The resulting reservoir filled the Ligont Plain where corn and tobacco was once cultivated and 2,500 of the 3,000 population were forced to leave their homes with numerous villages disappearing for ever. Shades of Riano in the the north of Spain (Tour 4) but one hopes the Italian authorities handled the matter with more compassion than Franco.
The trail around the lake is well marked albeit narrow in parts; which lends credence to the stories that, in days of yore, parts of the trail on the north side of the lake were used by tobacco smugglers. I wore hiking boots but, they weren’t really necessary; it was dry underfoot and easy walking. The weather was mostly kind but it was very unsettled with occasional claps of thunder and lightning which, while never close enough to cause concern, made for a very ‘atmospheric’ walk. This was especially true on the long abandoned north side of the lake where just a handful of dilapidated houses remain. When the stags ceased their interminable bellowing (it’s rutting season), everything became so very quiet and still. It was almost unnerving.
Ordnance Survey…… and from Magicoveneto.
The scenery during the walk is beyond my powers of description. It is simply wonderful. The lake’s water levels were somewhat low for truly great photos (steep muddy banks simply don’t help) but that is to be expected of a reservoir towards the end of summer. The forests on the north side of the lake were too thick for me too see much in the way of wildlife; just hundreds of dragonflies and a couple of snakes but; the aforementioned stags rendered anything else unnecessary.
Water levels in the north…… and in the south…… everywhere was special.Sometimes a little barren…… always interesting.
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole walk but it was a really great moment when I finally reached the pedestrian bridge, the Ponte Polo, which would enable me to cross back over the lake to the tiny village of Rocca. The Bar da Anna was open and I was ready for a beer or two.
From the Bar da Anna it was yet a short walk back to our campsite and on the way I would pass another watering hole, the Ristorante dell’ Albergo Parigi, which sits next to all that remains of Rocca’s old church – it’s tower. The rest of the church is at the bottom of the lake.
The Albergo Parigi is to the right of the towerThe bell tower from a nearby viewing point.
And Arsie? Roadworks diverted us through Arsie or we wouldn’t have bothered with the place. There didn’t appear to be a lot to it and the little research I was able to conduct via Google made more of the nearby ghost town of Fumegai (which was abandoned in the early 1900’s) than it did of Arsie. Next time perhaps?
Having made the decision to stay ahead of the rain by driving further east, we arrived next at Rivergaro in the Emilio-Romagnia Region. Those words almost make it seem as if we stumbled on Rivergaro by chance but, that was certainly not the case. Vanya puts consierable effort into finding unusual and interesting campsites and she did it once again with the Agriturismo L’Urteia in Rivergaro.
The Agriturismo L’Urteia is a model farm at the northern edge of Rivergaro which, over a period of time, has been developed further to include holiday lets, a small shop and a restaurant and, most recently, a small campsite which can currently accommodate 8 or 9 motorhomes (no caravans) and a few tents. It is well set out, spotlessly clean and has all the facilities that campers might need. The farm also brews their own range of craft beers. It’s a great little place within easy walking distance of the town too.
Rivergaro sits bys the River Trebbia It’s a working farm but……well behaved dogs are welcome.
Rivergaro is a small town of some 7,000 inhabitants on the River Trebbia. It is considered to be the gateway to the Piacenza Hills and by extension to Emilio-Romagnia’s best Piacenza Wines. Vanya and I were pleasantly surprised by the local wines. I particularly liked the Gutturnio which is a soft red wine made from a blend of the locally grown Barbera and Bonarda (sometimes called Croatina) grapes while; Vanya was impressed by a fizzy white wine made entirely from the local Ortrugo grape known as Ortrugo dei Colli Piacentini. Both of the wines we tried are produced by a local family business ‘Podere Le Lame’ and came recommended by Marco, the owner of the Caffe Italia in Rivergaro.
The Caffe Italia…… as closing time approaches.
The town has a few interesting features being, the 19th century Parochial Church of Santa Agata on Via San Rocco; the 17th century Oratario San Rocco Pellegrino also on Via San Rocco and; the Santuario della Beata Vergine della Grazie (sometimes referred to as simply the Madonna della Grazie) which is up above the Piazza Paolo on Via Castello. The most pleasant part of the town for me however is the main square through which the Via Roma passes. This is where many of the locals socialise around noon and/or during the evening. I was delighted to be able to sit on the square early in the afternoon drinking coffee and again in the evening when Vanya and I had something to eat at the Caffe Italia. Lively town squares such as this are what make Italy.
Looking down on Santa Agata…… and inside Santa Agata.The Oratorio San Rocco…… is surely more than a chapel?Rivergaro’s principal square. I can tell you nothing about the statueMadonna della Grazie…… complete with baptismal font.It’s not a big town…… but it’s not lacking in character.
Throughout our short stay in Rivergaro, the weather was changeable (that’s a euphemism for “often wet”) but, it certainly didn’t deter the locals from getting out and about and the welcome we received from Marco in the Caffe Italia that evening was great. He simply couldn’t do enough for us and, after hearing that we didn’t have time to visit the Podero Le Lame winery to buy a bottle or two of the white wine which Vanya was enjoying so much, he gave us some at cost price. This is a place we will return to and we’re agreed that the ‘Urteia’ be classified as an Excellent Campsite. (https://www.urteia.it/en/camping)
And into Italy and more particularly the province of Savona in Liguria. We were headed east to avoid the impending rain and stopped at the small town of Ceriale (a little over 5,500 inhabitants) on the Riviera i Ponente.
My first thoughts as I set off to explore Ceriale was one of disappointment but, my fault, I had chosen to walk into the town via the sea front and I’ve rarely been impressed by Italian beaches. Don’t misunderstand me, it isn’t that Italy doesn’t have attractive beaches. They have some quite spectacular beaches but; most of the Italian coastline has been sold off and is privately owned. The result is that public beaches are few and far between and rarely well cared for. Those I saw in Ceriale are truly awful. The same can be said of many of the private beaches out of season. The walk to the town centre took me past the worst of Ceriale’s beaches and past countless half built blocks of flats; some of which don’t appear to have been touched in ages, so covered are they in graffiti. This was in total contrast to the tourist blurb I had read prior to starting my walk. I quote:- “The town is famous for its beautiful sandy beach… etc”. I’ll let you know.
Now, to keep things in perspective because there are usually two sides to every story, Ceriale was awarded a blue flag last year (and not for the first time); which suggests the water is clean and; that some of the beaches, at least during the high season, are well tended. Certainly, the beach near the historic town centre and those further on towards neighbouring Loano do look altogether nicer.
Just to the north of the pier on the sea front (Il Pontile) is the Piazza della Vittoria. It holds a few cafe-bars; a small fortress which once formed part of the town’s coastal defences (the Bastione i Ceriale) and; a Memorial to the town’s men who fell during World War I and; it is one of the prettier parts of the town. It’s the perfect place to sit with a glass of wine or a cup of coffee and watch the world go by. A little way behind the Piazza della Vittoria is the Parish Church of the Saints John the Baptist and Eugene (Chiesa dei Santi Giovanni e Eugenio) with it’s adjoining 16th century Civic Tower. This is the historic town centre of Ceriale.
The tower served as a lookout post for fear of pirates but it appears to have failed in this regard in 1637 when the town was sacked by Barbary Pirates led by an Algerian, Ciribi. Much of the town was destroyed. The church was plundered and badly damaged; many of the town’s citizens were killed and; 337 men, women and children were abducted and sold into slavery in what is now Algeria and Tunisia (most of them, never to be seen again). The town and the church were restored but a large wooden crucifix inside the church still has a hole in it from a shot fire by a pirate’s gun.
Having sat people-watching on the Piazza della Vittoria for a while I walked most of the old town with it’s charming narrow cobbled streets and pastel coloured buildings with terracotta roofs (rooves?).
I continued along the coast, past Castello Borelli, to the neighbouring town of Loano. Loano appeared to have better beaches than Ceriale but I wasn’t inclined to tarry there. Instead, I wandered up into the hills behind the town and made my way back into Ceriale using an excellent walker’s trail along the side of Monte Piccaro which afforded some fine views over Ceriale and along the coast.
A few words about Castello Borelli. It’s not a castle in the old fashioned sense although it may have started life that way. It was built in the late 19th century by an engineer, Borelli. To what end, I don’t know but it has since become something of a luxury resort. It comprises a hotel, restaurant, wellness centre and, within the castle walls, some 47 sea view residences. I’d have loved to seen inside.
At the beginning of this entry in my blog, I went in quite hard about Ceriale’s beaches (this can be explained in that privately owned beaches have long been a bete noire of mine) but; when all is said and done, this is an interesting little town and worth visiting. It is delightfully Italian (very Ligurian) and a fine place to chill with some interesting perspectives and not a little history. It is good to be back in Italy and thank you Ceriale
The weekend over, we continued south down the A7 and then east along the A8 to Saint-Raphael on the Cote d’Azur; passing the first 1,000 mile mark of this tour on the way. According to the weather forecasts we had at least one more day of fine weather in France before wet weather arrived and Vanya wanted to revisit Esterel Caravaning where we stayed earlier this year when visiting Saint Raphael. She was being troubled by her arthritis and desired a lazy day in the sun at what turned out to be her favourite campsite of Tour 11 (so much so we stayed seven days instead of the one we originally booked).
I’ll not risk repeating myself here regarding Esterel Caravaning or Saint Raphael. If you want to know more about what attracts us to this place, you need only use the website search engine and enter ‘Saint Raphael’ (to find out about the town of Saint Raphael) or ‘Esterel Massif’ (to learn about the Esterel campsite, the surrounding area and the other places in the area that we visited during Tour 11). During this visit we weren’t blessed with the same wonderful weather as earlier in the year (The bad weather arrived a day earlier than was forecast and, because of the particularly heavy rain, the drive down took over an hour longer than anticipated) but, no matter, the weather improved sufficiently after our arrival and our second stay at the campsite went well although we did little more than chill for 24 hours.
A few photos, some of them from our last tour. That’s how lazy this visit was. I couldn’t even be bothered to leave the campsite.
Saint RaphaelSaint RaphaelEsterel… … and Esterel CaravaningLast year……and this.
However, the wet weather wasn’t finished with us. More was forecast and it would be the south of France and the north of Spain which would bear the brunt of it. It was time to head east into Italy…
On the left bank of the Rhone, in the department of Drome and directly opposite Tournon sur Rhone, is the pretty historical little village of Tain L’Hermitage. I heard it said that Tain was once a suburb of Tournon sur Rhone but some locals thought to raise the profile of the place on the back of it’s celebrated Hermitage Wines (which are grown on and around the large hill on the left bank) and so was Tain L’Hermitage formed. Of course that may just be a tale.
I’ll start this entry with an amazing photo I saw of Tain on an Ardeche Tourism site. Taken from the Tournon side of the Rhone this photo by Eric Labrot captures the Rhone, Tain and Hermitage Hill so perfectly. I spent a fair while trying to take a decent photo across the river and gave up after I saw this. It says it all.
An amazing photo of Tain across the Rhone by Eric Labrot. What a photo!
Vanya and I popped into Tain early on a Sunday afternoon, after first visiting the Tournon farmer’s market. We didn’t realise Tain’s market day was also on the Sunday morning or we might have strolled across the Marc Seguin bridge earlier and enjoyed both markets. Neither market is very large but, together, I think there would have been enough to keep us amused for a while. We both enjoy mooching around French markets. Having said that, I was up early that day and had noticed two river cruise boats moored on the Tain side of the Rhone and was happy to wait until they had departed before crossing the river.
Cruise boats on the Tain side of the RhoneThe Marc Seguin Bridge across to TainOne of the first sites – Tain’s Sculpture Art GalleryAs if we needed reminding that this is wine countryThe Place de Taurobole fountain wasn’t as impressive as when……Hilke Mauner shot this photo.
Tain’s primary church is L’Eglise Notre Dame. It was mostly destroyed during the French Revolution and France’s earlier Religious Wars and was rebuilt in 1838. It is not one of France’s more impressive churches, either outside or inside although, Louis XVIII of the house of Bourbon was petitioned to donate some religious paintings as part of the church’s restoration (after being reminded that in 1350 the original church was the scene of the marriage of the 13 year old future King Charles V to the 11 year old Jeanne de Bourbon).
L’Eglise Notre Dame, as simple outside…… as inside.Charles & Jeanne
While wandering Tain on my own, later in the day, I passed the Valrhona chocolate factory and shop (the Cité du Chocolat). It was closed or I could have been tempted inside. Founded in 1922 by a French pastry chef, Alberic Guironnet, Valrhona has grown to become arguably the most well known high quality chocolate manufacturer in France. From these same premises the company also operates the ‘Ecole du Grand Chocolat’ (a school for professional chefs with a focus on chocolate-based dishes and pastries) and the ‘Comptoir Porcelena’ (a restaurant where you can eat chocolate from starter to dessert).
From Starter to Dessert…… by Valrhona.
My final words on Tain L’Hermitage must be about it’s red wines. Although white wines are produced in the area, Tain is reputed to be the birthplace of Syrah and, as a result, it is the Hermitage red wines which reign supreme here. Hermitage red wines aren’t cheap. This is a small wine producing area and smaller yields often serve to push prices up but; the prices were probably hugely inflated after Louis XIII visited the area in 1642 and made them a ‘wine of the French court’. None of the main producers on the hill were open for tasting sessions and I therefore allowed myself to be influenced by the proprietor of one of the bars on Place de Taurobole who suggested I try a more affordable Domaine Gallet Cote-Rotie (from nearby Ampuis) rather than his Heritage wine which he claimed is okay but overpriced. I wasn’t disappointed with his recommendation. In fact I took a second glass. It was seriously good.
The Domaine Gallet…… and there’s mine.
And a couple more photos… One of the Marc Seguin Bridge from Tain…
Marc Seguin Bridge from Tain
…and one across to Touron from up high on L’Heritage Hill from…
We’ve long moved on from France and I’m playing catch up with the blog at the moment. Heavy and prolonged rain was forecast over most of the country and it was that which prompted us to leave Jura and head south on the N7 towards San Raphael. From there we’ be better placed to run for either Spain or Italy once the bad weather hit. Tournon sur Rhone was on the N7 and Vanya had found a campsite close to the town centre which would suit our needs for a day or two.
Tournon sur Rhone sits on the right bank of the Rhone. I was advised it once straddled the Rhone here but that better wines (i.e. Hermitage AOC Wines) were produced on the left bank of the river and so those people living on the left bank renamed their side of the river Tain L’Hermitage. I’m not so sure that is true, especially since Tournon is in the Ardeche department of the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes while Tain is in the Drome department. Whatever, we elected to stay two nights so that we could take our time to properly explore both Tournon and Tain.
The first sights we saw as we entered the town and drove along Quai Gambetta and on to the Quai Charles de Gaulle to the camp site were a splendid cable suspension bridge over the Rhone and an equally impressive World War I memorial carved into the rock on which Tournon Castle is perched. I subsequently learned that the bridge is an 1847 replica of one built by Marc Seguin in 1824 and which is believe to have inspired the design of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge. The 11 metre high war memorial created in 1922 by Antoine Sartorio, himself a French soldier during WWI, is carved into the limestone rock underneath Tournon Castle. It features Nike, the Greek Goddess of Victory delivering the victor’s laurels to those named on the memorial.
The Marc Seguin BridgeMarc Seguin himselfTournon war memorial
There are various ways to explore Tournon and the surrounding areas. Most tourists will use the local tourist train which also takes in part of Tain and the Hermitage Vineyards. There is also the Two Towers walking path that follows the route of the old town walls which once connected the two observation towers still standing at the back of the town. There use to be 12 such towers. This route follows a small part of the Sentier GR42 (i.e. the Sentier de Grande Randonnee 42) and offers panoramic views over Tournon, Tain and the Rhone. For those wishing to go further afield there are frequent boat trips along the Rhone with the Compagnie des Canotiers and/or there’s the Chemin de Fer du Vivarais (more often than not called Le Mastrou or the Train de L’Ardeche) a 100 year old narrow gauge steam train which ferries train enthusiasts and tourists up and down the Doux Gorge.
I started with a stroll along the Two Towers path (leaving it at one stage to descend directly down through the very steep vineyards which form a backdrop to Tournon) and then; over the course of the next two days, I simply walked Tournon and Tain until I had seen pretty much everything. The Two Towers path is easy walking and there’s an orientation table along the way which helps identify many of the features in this part of the Rhone Valley. The most celebrated feature is Tournon Castle, parts of which date back to the 10th century although; it was constantly being added to by the Counts of Tournon. It has been a museum since 1926.
Tournon Castle and the Rhone from the Two Towers pathThe Pierregoure Tower…… the most northerly of the Two TowersThe Holy Virgin Tower, the second of the Two TowersA view of Tain from higher up on the Two Towers path
For my part, the most impressive building in Tournon is the early 14th century Eglise de Saint-Julien. This former collegiate church was built on the site of an earlier 11th century church which, before that, was occupied by a Roman temple. Saint-Julien was a Roman centurion who was beheaded for his Christian beliefs during the reign of the Emperor Diocletian. This imposing Gothic style building is filled with treasures including, in the Chapel of the Penitents, some interesting and renowned 15th century murals.
Eglise Saint-Julien…… an at night.Inside Eglise St-Julien……and the Chapel of the Penitents
That first night in Tournon we ate at a small restaurant just outside the church; with Vanya (not really knowing what she was doing) ordering two dinners for herself and me ordering the most unusual pizza ever – a snail pizza. A great deal of our meal was left uneaten. The pizza was so awful even Beanie refused one of my snails.
Dinner…… under St-Julien
I like Tournon although I was disappointed that one of the sites I was most interested in seeing, the Jardin d’Eden, was closed and; it appears the closure is permanent. Time will tell.
I’m thinking I should count the Jura Department amongst my favourite places in France. The scenery is stunning; the people are friendly and; the food and wine can be considered amongst the best we have tasted. What’s not to like about Jura?
And so to Poligny. It’s an old fortified town (not that there is much left of the ramparts) with approximately 4,000 inhabitants. With the help of the town’s authorities, the Tourist Information Office has established a walking tour (the Circuit Tour?) which is a marked trail that leads around some of the town’s historical sites (e.g. the Chateau de Poligny, Saint Hippolyte Church, the remains of the city’s fortifications, etc) and some of it’s gastronomic delights (e.g. the Maison du Comte Visitor Centre, Le Caveau des Jacobines, etc).
The tourist information office is in the town’s main square, the Place Des Deportes; where the Grande Rue , the Route de Geneve and Rue Travot all converge. It’s not a particularly large square but, with it’s lively restaurant-bars, boutique shops and farmer’s market on Mondays and Fridays, it lays claim to being the beating heart of the town. The square is conspicuous by a large fountain towards one end and a statue of the town’s most famous son, General Jean Pierre Travot, at the other end.
Born in Poligny in 1767, General Jean Pierre Travot was one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s more succesful generals so much so that his name is one of those inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe. He was also one of Napoleon’s more loyal officers and in return was made first a baron of the Empire (1814) and then a Peer of France (1815). After rallying to Napoleon’s cause during the 100 days, Travot was tried for treason and condemned to death. This was subsequently commuted to 20 years in prison but, unable to cope with the incarceration, he very quickly went mad and; despite getting a reprieve in 1819, he spent the remainder of his days in a lunatic asylum and died in 1836.
Place des Deportes, PolignyGeneral Jean Pierre TravotMarker on the Town Tour
We didn’t get to see as much of the town as we would have liked during this our visit because, we were advised that first and foremost, the town is famous for it’s gastronomic expertise and; on this occasion at least we were there primarily to sample it’s wine and food. My particular interest was with the Arbois Jaune Wine, Poligny being just 9 kilometres from Arbois. Vanya’s interest was Comte cheese and, in this regard, Poligny considers itself the Comte cheese capital; a claim which can be justified as at least a third of the Region’s total production of Comte is aged in the town’s cellars.
It was early afternoon when we settled at the Au Platanes Restaurant on the Place Des Deportes for a light lunch and to plan what remained of our day. For my part, the restaurant proved an inspired choice because, joy of joys, the first item on their menu was ‘Croute au morelles et au Vin Jaune’; that’s (French) morel mushrooms (morchella elata/esculenta) cooked in a cream and yellow wine sauce. I’d not eaten them before; probably because they are highly sought after and yet cannot be farmed. They have a price tag second only to that of the black truffle but my goodness they taste good. They are delicately scented and the taste is enhanced when cooked in yellow wine. They were glorious. And for my main course? Well, this Region’s full name is Bourgogne-Franche-Comte; Burgundy is famous for it’s snails and so, I opted for a dozen of the ‘Escargots au beurre d’ail’. Delicious!
Au Platanes RestaurantFrench Morel…… and the best ever soup!
The Place Des Deportes is a great place to stop for lunch. We enjoyed some fabulous food and then sat for a while in the sunshine with a cup of coffee. That is one of the great joys of France; just sitting, well fed and comfortable in a prime spot just watching the world go by. Of course, it didn’t last long. We were sitting directly opposite the tourist information office and Vanya, who had eaten next to nothing (so impatient was she to taste more Comte) was off looking for guidance as to the best places for Comte.
We were too late for the tour at the Maison du Comte Visitor Centre (which also offers a cheese tasting session) but that wasn’t going to deter Vanya and; after a short while she exited the tourist information office with a grin like a Cheshire cat eating cheese – Comte cheese. They recommended the place next door, the Boutique Badoj Vins et Fromages, and in what seemed like no time, Vanya had returned with three of the largest slices of Comte I have ever seen. We have since devoured one of them and it really is the best cheese I have ever tasted. I’m no expert on cheese but it seems to me there’s a big difference between cheese freshly cut from the wheel and that which has been vacuum packed in plastic. I much prefer the younger cheese while Vanya favours the more mature, friable version.
“I know where to get the best Comte…… in the shop next door……and inside Badoj Vins et Fromages.
Not long after we were esconced in a wine shop in Poligny tasting yellow wine. Well, I was. It’s a strong wine (see the Arbois blog) and it’s not to everyone’s taste – certainly not Vanya’s. This was in the ‘Fruitiere Vinicole d’Arbois’. There are 5 such shops (all part of a co-operative); two in Arbois, one in Arc et Senans, another in Saint Laurent en Grandvaux and the one in Poligny on Grande Rue known as the ‘Caveau des Jacobins’. What a great wine and have I mentioned in any of my blogs that it is even better when paired with Comte cheese? It’s a marriage made in heaven.
And now I have a confession to make. I’m not sure that the bottle in the above photo is the one I purchased in the Caveau des Jacobins. I opened a bottle of yellow wine later in the tour while in Austria (Yes, I’m playing catch up again with the blogs) and finished the whole bottle (it was so good). That may have been the bottle I bought in Poligny. No matter, we’ll simply have to return to buy some more and I’ll have to re-visit both shops in Arbois and Poligny. Hurrah!!
The weather forecasts were warning of approaching wet weather and it was almost time for us to move further south. There was enough time, however, for one more trip around Jura which would see us visit Baume les Messieurs (another ‘plus beau village de France’) and the small town of Poligny (the self proclaimed Comte Cheese Capital of Jura).
Our first stop of the day would be Baume les Messieurs, just 30 miles south of Dole, and the approach couldn’t have been easier. We were nearing the end of the holiday season and there was ample parking at the entrance to the village. Moreover, we’d arrived shortly after a coachload of tourists and all we had to do was follow the crocodile queue along the banks of the River Seille to the centre of Baume les Messieurs.
Parked up near the bridge…… over the River SeilleThere are only 2 streets.Locals were scarce.
The village is picturesque and it’s setting, underneath a 200 metre high escarpment of limestone cliffs is absolutely gorgeous but having said that; there is little to Baume les Messieurs other than the former Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter (which was in the process of being renovated); a handful of expensive craft shops and; two cafe-bars which were mobbed by the coachload of tourists we had followed in. I’m sorry to say, pretty as the village is, we weren’t that enamoured with the place.
But the setting is glorious.I took this photo from above the abbey.
Mind you, instead of aimlessly wandering the village while waiting for a table to become available at one of the cafes, I could have made better use of our time by visiting the nearby Herisson Waterfalls and/or the Baume Caves. Like I said, the village is located in a splendid setting and the weather was wonderful throughout our short stay. Alternatively, we could have combined our visit to Baume les Messuriers with one to the nearby Chateau Chalon which we passed on the way in. More fool me.
Located in Jura, one of Franche Comte’s most beautiful Departments and surrounded by vineyards, Arbois is a small town of about 3,500 people but, despite it’s limited size, it’s a jewel of a place, oozing charm and character.
It’s the self styled regional capital of Jura and I’ll not argue with that claim given that the vineyards around Arbois currently account for almost 70% of Jura’s wine production and the wines themselves were well renowned way back in the times of the Roman Empire. We had come to Arbois to taste some of these famous wines.
The town is distinguished by it’s many ochre-coloured, stone buildings which make for a warm, golden appearance. The centre is resplendent with cafes and restaurants (including a 2 star and a 1 star Michelin restaurant), numerous boutique shops (we saw no chain stores here), countless wine shops (most of them on the different approaches to the town’s main square) and, especially worth visiting, the Hirsinger Chocolate Factory which deserves a paragraph all of it’s own in this blog.
In 1900, after training as a chocolatier in Paris, Auguste Hirsinger founded his own chocolate factory in Arbois. This business was passed on, first to one of his sons and then; in turn, to one of his granchildren and; more recently, to one of Auguste’s great grandsons, Edouard Hirsinger. Edouard Hirsinger has taken the family business to unparalleled success with his unusual flavour combinations and; he is one of very few chocolatiers to have been awarded the MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in recognition of his skills. However, it is the story of his grandfather, also called Edouard, which most impressed me. Grandfather Edouard Hirsinger took over the business from Auguste in 1929. In 1940, after France was knocked out of World War II and the Germans arrived in Arbois, he courageously closed the business down for 5 long years until the town was liberated by US soldiers. That takes passive resistance to a whole new level.
I was writing in general terms about the town itself. Arbois was fortified during the 12th and 13th centuries but little remains of it’s medieval walls except for some of the towers (the most impressive of which is the Gloriette Tower) and the 12th century Chateau Pecauld (now a wine museum).
To my mind, the three most interesting features of Arbois are it’s church (L’Eglise Saint-Just), it’s main square (La Place de la Liberte) and it’s river (the Cuisance) and I’ll write a little about each of those but there is so much more. Some would argue that Louis Pasteur’s house (La Maison Pasteur) warrants inclusion in the top three and, yes, La Maison Pasteur in Arbois (now a museum dedicated to his life) is a site worth visiting (if only to see the reconstruction of his home laboratory) but, the house where Pasteur was born in in Dole and lived the early years of his life was also converted into a museum (see my blog on Dole). So, been there, done that, got the t-shirt and I’m not going to include Pasteur’s house in my top three here.
The most imposing building in Arbois is, without any doubt, the 17th century L’eglise Saint-Just which was listed as a historic monument in 1913. It’s remarkable 60 metre bell tower dominates the town. During summer months it’s possible to ascend the tower’s 209 steps for panoramic views over the town and surrounding vineyards but, visiting too late in the year, I missed out on that. No matter, Saint-Just’s interior with it’s three naves separated by a mix of square and round pillars; no less than 11 chapels and; an exquisitely carved pulpit makes it about as fine a church as anyone could want. It’s so full of character. I’ll let some of my photos do the talking…
The most charming part of the town is the lively Place de la Liberté (Liberty Square) where all of the town’s principal streets converge. It is stunning. A ‘Fountain of Lions’ built by the architect Lapret in 1806 sits in the centre of the square which is framed by elegant arcaded yellow brick buildings (most with coloured shutters) and almost completely covered by fluttering flower shaped decorations – bunting? What a place to be on market days!
Approaching Place de la Liberte on Rue de l’Hotel de Ville
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Place de la Liberte and the Fountain of Lions……and another view of the Place de la Liberte
The River Cuisance meanders through Arbois and makes for some very interesting features (one of which is the narrow Pont des Capucins) but it is a few kilometres outside of the town where the river is at it’s most impressive. There’s a magical little waterfall where water cascades down over tufa terraces into a series of shallow pools which are ideal for cooling down in on a hot day. This is the Cascade des Tufs. There’s a fine 17.5 kilometre circular walk from Arbois which leads through the beautiful Planches Pres d’Arbois Valley to this waterfall but most people prefer the easier and considerably shorter 1 kilometre walk from a free car park in the village of Planches Pres d’Arbois (Coordinates 46°52’35.0″N 5°48’24.7″E). The choice is yours.
River Cuisance in ArboisPont des Capucins over the CuisanceKevMRC Photo of the Cascades des Tufs
So, back to Arbois and a little about the local wines. That was, after all, the main reason for our visiting Arbois. Vanya had previously tasted Cremant de Jura but not been very impressed. Me, I’m not a great Cremant drinker but I was keen to try the famous Yellow Wine of Jura for the first time. We started in the Cave Jerome Arnoux, sampling at least 8 local wines and we were delighted with the outcome.
Vanya now maintains that Cremant de Jura can hold it’s own against any of the other 6 French Cremants. The problem has been that Jura has never properly recovered from the phylloxera outbreak which devastated the French wine industry at the end of the 19th century. Yes, the area is once again firing on all cylinders and back to producing great wines but it remains the smallest of France’s major wine producing regions and relatively few of the better wines seem to be finding their way to the UK or even on to the shelves of the larger supermarkets in France. Vanya tasted some very good Cremant after arriving in Jura and she’s taking some back home. For my part, I am hooked on Jura’s yellow wine. I bought a couple of bottles of Arbois Vin Jaune 2016 to take home but one of those is already finished.
What surprises me, given that the wineries in Jura are relatively small compared to those in other wine growing regions in France, is the great diversity of wines being produced in and around Arbois. I have been advised the terroir is best suited to the production of red wines but there seems to be no shortage of dry white wines, roses, vin jaune, vin de paille (a sweet wine typical of Jura) and, of course, the aforementioned Cremant.
In case you haven’t already picked up on it, my favourite is the yellow wine but I appreciate it is not to everyone’s taste. It is made from the Savagnin grape variety (which come in small green or yellow grape clusters) and has a very recognizable aroma. It’s taste is not unlike a dry sherry but it is not a fortified wine. It is matured in a barrel under a film of yeast known as voile and it stands for 6 years. It goes exceptionally well with Comte cheese and is used in many recipes. During our stay in Jura, I ate a Morel Soup which contained a fair wack of yellow wine and it was gorgeous. I understand too that a very popular dish in Jura is trout in yellow wine.
Another famous wine from this area (although I have yet to try it) is vin de paille. It is what is known as a straw wine and is very sweet. It seems that vin de paille is made from grapes which have been dried off the vine to concentrate their juice. After a careful hand harvest, selected bunches of grapes are then laid out on mats (they used to be straw mats) in full sun. I’ll be trying that wine next year when we return to France.
Vin de jaune 2016Vanya bought this wine which I have yet to try
Oh yes! Vanya and I both love Jura and we’ll definitely be back next year – not that we’ve yet finished with the place this year. Tomorrow we’ll be visiting two more places in Jura being Baume Les Messieurs (a plus beau village de France) and Poligny (the self styled capital of Comte cheese).
We were on a day trip from Dole to Arbois when we decided to pause in the tiny village of La Ferte to check out the local cheese. We have long been fans of Comte Cheese and while travelling the D469 to Arbois through La Ferte we noticed La Fromagerie de la Ferte which specialises in the production of Comte to AOC standards. We decided to take a look…
La Fromagerie de la Ferte
… and what a find! This cheese factory, unlike others we have seen, operates a ‘Cheese Bar’. It’s brand new, light and airy, with plenty of seating inside and outside and there’s sooo much cheese to see and eat.
Windows in the bar…… reveals maturing Comte.
The staff proved attentive and well informed regarding the cheese and the menu offered plenty of choice. In addition to a selection of Comte cheese of varying ages) there was Morbier, Bleu de Gex, Raclette, Tomme and others. To accompany the cheese there was also a range of cold meats from Jura (dry cured ham, sausages and terrines) and a selection of locally produced craft beers. Oh and, of course, yellow wine. Yellow wine and Comte is a marriage made in heaven.
We settled down for a small feast with me opting for a mixed cheese and ham charcuterie washed down with one of the artisanal beers (the cheeses included Old Comte AOP, Fruity Comte AOP and Morbier) and Vanya going for a Comte Fondue which she made herself following instructions from one of the staff.
I could eat that again, right now.Awaiting a fondue…… steady with the brandy!So good…… I had a second.
It was pure luck that took us to the Fromagerie de la Ferte but we’ll be back.
A little bit about the production of Comte Cheese in the event you’re interested…
(a) Comte is an unpasteurised cheese and part of the Gruyere family of cheeses. It is favoured by a great many of our top chefs.
(b) The milk used to make the cheese comes from Montbeliarde cows which eat only grass and hay and are recognizable by their dark red and white coats. They are milked twice a day at regular times to avoid stressing the animals.
Montbeliarde Cows
(c) AOC recognition requires that Comte cheese be made with milk that is not transported more than 25 kilometres from where the cow was milked and within 24 hours of milking.
(d) The cow’s milk, with a fat content of not less than 45%, is transported to large copper vats. A few centilitres of natural rennet (obtained from the dried intestine of a calf) is added to help clot the milk and the resulting curd is then stirred and heated to 54 degrees centigrade for 1 hour. The curd is then drawn off and pressed into cheese wheel moulds before being stored in the fromagerie’s cellars to mature.
(e) The cheese must remain in the cellars for at least 4 months before it can be called Comte. Of course most of it will be matured for much longer. The average is 18 months but it is not unknown for Comte to be left for 36 months which makes for a considerably stronger tasting and more friable cheese.
(f) So many factors affect the taste of the cheese (e.g. the microclimate of the area the cheese is produced in, the time of the year the milk is collected, the time allowed for maturing etc) and every cheese wheel differs in terms of smell and taste – Just look at the aroma wheel below. Generally however, a young Comte will have a milkier taste and aromas, while more mature cheeses can have fruitier (citrus and hazlnut) and smoky flavours.
