Tag Archives: nature

Walks around Pays de Gex

France: King Kong cave and the skull in Thoiry

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I did not know that I could actually visit a cave right here in our little corner of France.

The cave itself cannot be compared with the impressive caves elsewhere where you have to pay an entry fee to visit, but for a short outing, it is impressive enough for me.

A friend took me for a walk around Thoiry some time ago and showed me what they called King Kong cave and the skull on the wall.

I wish I had known about this treasure when my kids were at the right age for fantasy, imagination, and storytelling. I actually think kids all ages will enjoy a visit to Le Grotte de Chazuet, which is just a short walk from Thoiry centre.

All it takes is a gentle little climb, and just below the road that takes you up to Tiocan this cave appears as if carved into the cliff wall. On your way up to the cave, right next to the pathway, you’ll find the skull carved on the wall.

The cave is big enough to fit several standing adults and is a truly extraordinary place. Even though the cave itself is small, you get the wet and damp cave feeling when inside.

In one of their newsletters from 1963, the Geneva Caving Association mention that archaeologists have found fragments of pottery, bones, and other remains of earlier habitation right here in this cave. The findings show that the cave and the area was used by human beings already during the Bronze age. The newsletter also mentions a megalith a little further up, that was used for religious ceremonies. Today the area around the cave is all quiet and peaceful, but back in the Bronze age the cave and the surroundings were probably bustling with people and voices.

Since I know absolutely nothing about minerals and rocks, I cannot really give a good description of what can be found in the cave. But I am sure somebody with a trained eye can find many interesting rock formations and minerals here.

I did find some cave art; however, I am unsure about how far back these “art” pieces date.

Right. Now on to how to find this cave.

If you come by car, the best option will be to park in the centre of Thoiry where parking can be easily found. If you come by bus, the TPG will take you to Thoiry Gare on their route 68 bus. Then walk in direction of Saint-Jean de Gonville along Rue de Fenieres (D89) until you see the big concrete cross. Walk up and you will find the pathway where the road makes a sharp bend to the right. The pathway will take you gently up past the skull wall to the cave.

After you have visited the cave, you can walk back the same way or walk on the road that leads up to Tiocan. I initially thought I’d take the first possible pathway in the direction of Tiocan back, but then I came across a closed gate with a sign saying there might be cows and bulls out grassing and that continuing would be on my own responsibility. I decided to play it safe and instead carried on upwards, taking the next possible pathway down. While on this path I kept to the left and ended up walking back to Thoiry center along Rue Fenieres.

For those of you who do not know Thoiry very well, it might be worthwhile combining this walk with a visit to the local market which takes place along the main street every Sunday morning. This is my preferred market in all of the Pays de Gex since it is big enough to have everything you desire foodwise, yet small enough to not be overcrowded with people.

Happy walking, and feel free to share!

Walks around Pays de Gex

France: Art en Campagne – A cross border art walking trail

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If you are lucky enough to be in Geneva or neighbouring France between the 26th of June and 5th September, you have to experience the Art en Campagne.

The 4,8-kilometre circular trail takes you across the fields between Ornex in France and Collex-Bossy in Switzerland. For a walk that already offers a beautiful view of Mont Blanc on one side and the more relaxed and greener Jura Mountain on the other side, the art installations just take the walking experience to a new level.

The trail is available and accessible the whole year round but is especially beautiful when you have a multitude of artworks displayed. The majority of the artists live locally but come from all over the world, and have connections to the many arts institutions in the region. In addition, several schools also get to present and display their art creation.

For the 2021 edition, the trail has no less than 47 installations along the short trail. You can pick up a map from one of the many mailboxes that have been put up.

You can also vote for the installation you liked the most. The voting can be done online or by using the sheet you will find in one of the many mailboxes.

The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau famously said, “I can only meditate when I am walking. When I stop, I cease to think; my mind works only with my legs”. I can assure you that on this art trail you will stop. But you will not cease to think. You will look, read, and admire the fantastic installations. The walk will take you around 1 to 1,5 hours to complete, depending on your walking pace and how many stops you make to admire and take photos of the art installations.

The trails are fairly flat and can be enjoyed by old and young. There was a little stretch in the woods that was a little muddy when I did the walk. But I do not think it would be too complicated to pass even if you have a baby in a pram with you.

The walk can be done in both directions, and you can start from anywhere along the trail. There are several parking opportunities on both sides if you come by car. If you come by bus the TPG will take you to Ornex-Prenepla or Ornex-Fruitiere on the French side. From the Suisse side, the 52 bus stops in Collex-Centre and Bossy. All bus stops are just a few minutes away from the trail.

To have a pre-peak at the map you can click here.

Enjoy the art and the walk, and feel free to share!

Walks around Pays de Gex

France: Les Pierres des Cupules in St. Jean de Gonville

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Les Pierres a Cupules will in English translate as Cupstones. A cupstone is a stone or rock surface bearing a cup sculpture. Cupstones are associated with places of worship and is believed to have been used as altar stones in prehistoric European religion. They are usually found close to glacial erratics, viewpoints and dangerous alpine trails.

This walk in the woods of St. Jean de Gonville is one I think many of you may have heard about. However, when people ask for hiking directions, I rarely see it mentioned.

I did this walk many years ago with my family and thought it would be easy to find the way. Coming by car and finding a parking space was really easy. Lots of parking is available around the church of St Jean de Gonville. For those not equipped with their own car, the buss from Divonne to Bellegarde stops in St Jean de Gonville. To check the timetable click here. If you are coming from Geneva, the F bus and the 68 bus from TPG will take you across the border into Pays de Gex.

The church was open, so I walked in to have a look (this is the reason for all the doodles on the map). The church was constructed in 1090 on an ancient cemetery by the Clunisien priory of Saint Victor de Geneve. These small parish churches are of cause not as impressive as the cathedrals you will find in big cities, but remain pillars of Christian devotion in their local communities today, same as a thousand years ago. Their simpler architectural lines can be both peaceful and relaxing. If the church is open, I’ll advice you to have a look inside.

OK. Let’s move on to the walk. I would have thought there was a signpost indicating where to find these famous Cupstones. But no, nothing of the sort. At least I could not see any signs in the village indicating the starting point for the walking trail. I personally think that the commune should put a few Euros aside in their next budget to finance some signpost to indicate where this walk starts.

Right. When you have the church right behind you, walk a few meters up Rue de l’Eglise. Turn right on Rue Charriere and then left on Rue Gachet. After you pass a fountain, continue for another 10 meters or so and you will see a path on the right that eventually takes you into the woods.

The path is quite wide, and takes you on a gentle climb up (ignore the side paths and move on uphill). Soon you will have a good view of the area around, including Satigny and Geneva.

After a few minutes, you will come to the only signpost signalizing that you are on the right pathway to Pierre du Neyret.

The Pierre du Neyret rock, transported by the glacier from the Alps, is very impressive. In comparison to the Pierres du Parrey it could not have had the same importance because Pierre du Neyret has no engravings. When looking at I can’t help thinking it looks like a giant stranded whale. If you bring children along, ask them what they think this rock resemble. I’d be curious to know.

Walking on and up, you’ll eventually reach a barrier. From here, the path will take you slowly down to meet another path. At this crossroads, or crosspaths, walk to the left. Finally we’re going up again, this time on a path with a nicely built stone fence on either side. (Farmers today should really take the time to build this kind of fence instead of putting up the ubiquitous and dangerous barbed wire).

When you see the Maison Driset on your right side and this sign in front of you, the fastest route to Les Pierres du Parrey is to walk to the right.

On the map below you can see that I continued walking up; this is because once again it was not very clear to me where exactly in the woods I would find these rocks.

After just a few minutes you will come to a clearing in the forest. This clearing is impressive today and I think it must have been even bigger before. Now, the forest is growing freely since there is very little use of the land for agricultural purposes.

Standing in the middle of this field, you’ll have the Jura Mountains behind you, and a stunning view of the Mont Blanc, Geneva and the lake in front of you. This place must be a perfect place for an evening picnic in the summer, when the Covid curfews are history and we’re again allowed to move around after 6pm here in France.

The first of the rocks is made of granite and has a flat surface, which with its more than 5 meters diameter is quite impressive. It rests on a smaller rock, which almost creates a little hut underneath.

The lower rock is made of chlorite shale and has been covered in engravings of crosses and channels.

After you have admired the rocks, you can chose to do a little loop by continuing upwards on the path you walked on coming up to the clearing. On this loop you will be passing the rocks again before you head back down.

To walk back to St Jean de Gonville, find the path that took you up to the clearing, and when you see Maison Driset do not walk to the right but continue straight on down towards the little Hameau de Mornex.

There’s a surprise waiting for you: On your way down you will all of a sudden see the remains of an old British car, deep in the middle of the woods. I really wonder how it ended up exactly here. I have read there are people traveling across Europe documenting old car wrecks found in the most bizarre places; however, I haven’t found any information about this car in particular. If you know the story of how it ended up here in the woods of St Jean de Gonville, please leave a message in the comments. I am sure there are many of us who are curious to know the history.

Passing the old houses in the upper part of Hameau de Mornex, the charm of ancient times is very much present. Walk down to the big road and look for the church tower. The church tower will lead you through the streets of St Jean de Gonville and back to your starting point.

Enjoy walking, and feel free to share!

Winter Activity

France: Les Molunes – cross-country skiing or snowshoeing at high altitude in the Jura mountains

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Next up in this series of winter activities in the Jura mountains is Les Molunes. Les Molunes is one of those places that can best be described as being in the middle of nowhere, but a very beautiful nowhere. The commune – which is officially known as Septmoncel Les Molunes – is located in the southern part of the Jura massive in the Hautes Combes. The Haute Combes in turns is a plateau that stretches over sixty kilometres, with an altitude ranging from 900 – 1500 meters above sea level. The landscape offers a tranquil scenery of farms spread over a relatively large area with forest and mountains framing it. Many of the farmhouses were built to accommodate ancient forest workers. Due to the exposed landscape and relatively high altitude the weather can be rough at times, especially the wind. This wind is often coming from the south east, which means that the corresponding wall of the local houses is often fortified with special covering. With just over 100 inhabitants, the small hameau Les Molunes is not winning any competitions for being densely populated, which is probably why it was assimilated into neighbouring commune Septmoncel in 2017. However, it does have the town hall placed at the highest altitude in the whole of the Jura department.

There are three cross-country ski trails prepared, one red, one green and one blue. Both the red and the green starts from La Vie Neuve, and the blue one starts from La Simard, which is near the main road going from Lajoux to La Pesse. There are also two snowshoeing trails prepared; both starts off from La Vie Neuve.

Les Molunes is on the Grand Traverse du Jura. You are therefore not limited to staying on the prepared circuit trails. You can continue on to Lajoux and La Pesse, and whenever the liaison to Les Moussieres is open you can connect to the prepared circuit trails over there.

For dog owners, the rules are the same as for Lajoux. Dogs are not allowed on the cross-country trails, but will be allowed to accompany you if you go on snowshoes.

Curiously, I did not see a ticket office for cross-country tickets; I suggest you stop at the Tourist Office in Lajoux or La Pesse and buy your tickets there. Click to see the prices for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

If you need ski lessons, the ESF Haute Jura has instructors that speak both French and English.

From what I’ve said about the size of the place, it probably comes as no surprise that there are no equipment rental facilities in Les Molunes. The nearest shops can be found in Lajoux, Benoin Jeannin Sport and Mermet Equip’Fond. In Les Moussieres there is also a Gros Sport renting out equipment, and in La Pesse Michel Sport will rent you what you need of equipment.

In the southern part of the Jura massif, I often see dog sledding when out skiing. I have not tried this kind of activity myself yet, but it’s definitely on the list of activities I’d like to try (even if I am normally scared of dogs). There are several professional dog sledders offering outings ranging from one hour to several days in this part of the Jura Mountain. Les Bois Fous is one of these companies and it could very well be their dogs you can see on these photos, taken a few days ago in Les Molunes.

Because of Covid, all bars and restaurants are currently closed and only offer take away for the time being. At Feodor you can order burgers and very local beer and enjoy it outside. There is a table and benches right at the start of the ski trails. When bars and restaurants open up again, I will surely be going back to Les Molunes to try the food that Feodor cooks on his impressive offset smoker, imported from the US. The menu is very tempting with meat smoked on indirect heat for 10 hours, or even smoked Mont D’Or cheese. Just looking at the menu and having a sneak peak at the cosy interiour makes me want to plan lots of trips back to Les Molunes.

How to get there: As for most places in the depth of the Jura mountains, you’ll need access to a car if you are planning a day trip. If you plan to stay for a few days am sure there are possibilities to be transported from Saint Claude to Les Molunes, but it will still be practical to have access to a car when there.

Enjoy your outing to Les Molunes!

Walks in Geneva

Switzerland: Graffiti and floating water in Richelien (Versoix, Geneva)

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Overview: Easy walk

Time: around 1 hour            Km: 3

Hight to climb: around 20 meters

Some walks are perfect whatever the weather and whatever the season. This short walk that I found in Richelien along the Canal de Versoix in the Geneva canton is just that.

It took me less than an hour but can be made longer or shorter as there are many pathways to explore. The pathways are wide enough for a stroller or a small bike, so this walk will be perfect if you have small children with you. It will also be perfect if the only the time and the only energy you have is for a for a short walk.

When walking on the nicely made pathway with eyes resting on the trees and all the beautiful houses and gardens, it is difficult to imagine the busy life that was once the daily life for people living and having their factories and workshops along the river La Versoix.

The Versoix river was an important source for hydropower for a number of establishments in the mid-1900th century. There was a number of wheat mills, factories for tools and iron cutting and paper mills found along the river. On this gentle stroll I did not see any sings of this industrial heritage. I will come back with a longer walk going more into detail about what traces can still be found from this time period.

How to get there: There is a small parking literally right under the motorway. For exact coordinates see below in the Google map window. If you don’t have a car and still want to explore this walk and the region, the Richelien bus stop is only a few meters away. This stop is on the 55 bus route going to Chavannes-des-Bois, to check the timetable click here for Tpg.

Happy walking, and feel free to share!