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France

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Pontarlier – View of Montbenoît loop from Pontarlier

Routes

Bike touring routes & trails

France

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Pontarlier – View of Montbenoît loop from Pontarlier

Moderate

4.7

(6)

riders

Pontarlier – View of Montbenoît loop from Pontarlier

03:03

51.4km

360m

Cycling

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: May 29, 2026

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Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Parc naturel régional du Doubs Horloger

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Start point

Train Station

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404 m

Saint-Bénigne Church

Highlight • Religious Site

The Église Saint-Bénigne in Pontarlier is a church dating from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. This church combines Romanesque, Gothic and Franc-Comtoise style elements. The striking clocher porch is topped with an imperial domed roof, also known as a clocher comtois, a traditional feature of Franche-Comté. The roof is covered with glazed tiles. The Église Saint-Bénigne is located in the Haut-Doubs and is dedicated to Saint Bénigne. Since May 19, 1970, the building has been registered as a historical monument.

Historically, the church was almost completely rebuilt between 1651 and 1666 on the same site as an original 11th century Romanesque church, of which almost nothing remains (except a 15th century portal). This happened after the passage of the troops of Duke Bernard de Saxe-Weimar during the Thirty Years' War. In 1666 the church was rededicated in honor of Saint Bénigne. The church has suffered serious damage over time from two fires, one in 1680 and one during the Pontarlier fire of 1736. The clocher porch was rebuilt in 1681, and the imperial dome was added in 1753 by architect Nicolas Nicole. In 1970 the church underwent a major restoration, and in 1974 new stained glass windows were created by artist Alfred Manessier and the Lorin de Chartres workshops.

The organ, which dates from 1758 and is in Louis XV style, was restored in 1844 and again in 1982.

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807 m

Pontarlier

Highlight • Settlement

Pontarlier is the capital of the "green fairy". It is here that the absinthe liqueur so popular in the nineteenth century and originating in the Val de Travers in the Swiss jura was produced industrially. The drink was nicknamed so because of its beautiful green color. She probably made you see fairies because wormwood has a hallucinogenic substance. It was forbidden to consume. Pontarlier is the second highest town in France after Briançon. Its city center is very pleasant.

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2.17 km

Le Doubs

Lake

4.72 km

Train Path between Gilley and Pontarleir

Highlight • Cycleway

Beautiful greenway on the old railway line in the heart of the natural environment of Haut-Doubs. The views overlooking the Doubs valley are magnificent.

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