Home About us FAQ FR: Call us : +33 (0)1 80 91 98 18   BE: +32 (0) 2 588 76 91 Contact us
Doubs valley

Cycling from Belfort to Dijon along the Doubs river

From Belfort to Dijon on Eurovelo 6 bike route

Reviews (3) :
5.00 / 5
Reference VD0802
  • Itinerant trip
  • 8 days
  • Moderate
  • from mid-April to October
  • Minimum age 12 years
GPSGPS-app available
879€ / pers.
  • Itinerary
  • You start this cycling trip at the foot of the Vosges and Jura mountain in the beautiful city of Belfort to end your trip in the capital of Burgundy, Dijon.

    This bike tour is a must for gourmets: sausages and ham specialities, various cheeses just to name Comté, Cancoillotte or Mont D’Or or hearty dishes like beef bourguignon not to mention the wide variety of wines.

    Your cycling holiday is largely based on dedicated bike paths and you will discover a still wild landscape and small villages and cities with rich heritage.

    Day 1

     
     

    Arrival in Belfort

    You arrive in the beautiful city of Belfort. More than a beautiful Vauban citadel and the sculpture of the lion Bartholdi, which made the city famous, you will find a vibrant city with its wide shopping streets, its quaint squares, its Haussmanian buildings with handsome facades covered with geranium.

    Day 2

     
     

    Belfort - Montbéliard

    Bike
    31km
    You leave Belfort along the banks of the Savoureuse river. You can choose to continue straight along the canal or cross the forest and follow along the Rhine to the Rhone Canal. Your bike route takes you to Sochaux and the Peugeot Museum. Discover this industrial epic before entering the small Renaissance town Montbéliard.

    Climb to the castle of the Dukes of Württemberg, visit the Saint-Martin temple, the oldest religious building of the Reformation in France and stroll through the medieval streets admiring the houses with their colorful facades. Do not miss in the evening to taste the famous sausage of Montbéliard!

    Day 3

     
     

    Montbéliard - Baume-les-Dames

    Bike
    63km
    Today your bike ride leads you to discover the beautiful loops of the river Doubs. First you have to leave the city and Montbéliard to meander leisurely on bike paths the bucolic edges of this river. From Isle-sur-le-Doubs on the valley becomes majestic and very wild. You wind through the incised valley by steep cliffs, which are the delight of climbers. Very beautiful arrival in the small town Baume-les-Dames, labeled "City of character" at the foot of the rift of Babre.

    Day 4

     
     

    Baume-les-Dames - Besançon

    Bike
    39km
    The Doubs valley is particularly spectacular after leaving Baume-les-Dames. The bike route is very varied: green banks under steep karst cliffs reverberating in the peaceful waters of the Doubs, small villages with bell towers of colored tiles, towpaths lined with plane trees and old brick paper mills tending their chimneys to the sky. At the bend of a loop you arrive without even noticing at the foot of the citadel of Besançon. Big favorite for this student, vibrant and cultural city.

    Jour 5

     
     

    Besançon - Dole

    Bike
    60/90km
    Leave Besançon riding leisurely on a bike path along the Doubs until the breakthrough of Thoraise: an amazing river tunnel under a waterfall. By bike you have to go up to the village to go down again with a beautiful view in the valley. Shortly after you can choose if you wish to continue along the meanders of the Doubs or to make a small detour towards the caves of Osselle.

    At the small village of Ranchot you can make a detour through the forest of Chaux and reach the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Sénans. This 18th century saline is one of the first modern "factories". It was used to turn the brackish water extracted in Salins, 20 km away in salt.

    Otherwise continue riding on the towpath of the canal, you pass under beautiful limestone cliffs and fortified villages. In Rochefort-sur-Néron you can climb on the cliffs and admire the beautiful view of the valley. The towpath lined with plane trees leads you to the marina of Dole at the foot of the cathedral. We were charmed by this historical city, birthplace of Louis Pasteur. You will admire the cathedral, the halls, but also at every turn of streets here a crest over a portal, there a carved door etc.

    Day 6

     
     

    Dole - Charrey

    Bike
    36km
    At Dole you leave the Doubs river and continue to follow the Rhine- Rhone canal to reach the Saône river just before Saint-Jean-de-Losne. The atmosphere changes as you leave the last foothills of the Jura to arrive in the plains of Burgundy. This change is not only visible in the landscape, but also in the architecture of bell towers or in the cuisine.

    Saint-Jean-de-Losnes is at the confluence of the Saône and the Rhine - Rhone Canal and thus the capital of inland water shipping and especially the largest recreational river port in France. A little further in a dead arm of the Saone hides a small village on barges.

    Day 7

     
     

    Charrey - Dijon

    Bike
    42km
    From Charrey on you cross the Citeaux forest to the abbey of Notre-Dame de Citeaux. A small guided tour is needed to better understand life in this Cisterian monastery. You continue through the plain to reach the wine road at Clos Vougeot, founded by the monks of Citeaux. You will learn about the distinct castle architecture, as well as the rites of the brotherhood of the Chevalier du Tastevin. This organization, sometimes known as the Brotherhood of the Knight’s Tasting Cup is a bacchanalian society committed to enjoying and promoting the wines and food of the Burgundy region of France. A detour via Nuits-Saint-Georges is also possible.

    You continue to Dijon, former capital of the powerful Dukes of Burgundy. This gourmet and lively city warmly welcomes you to its remarkably well-preserved pedestrianized city center.

    Day 8

     
     

    Dijon

    Described as the "city with the hundred bell towers" by François 1er, Dijon was the capital of the powerful Dukes of Burgundy. The city has inherited architectural gems such as the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, Notre Dame church with its famous carved owl or the mansions of the old city center. Dijon is also well-known for its food specialties such as gingerbread, mustard, blackcurrant liquor or nonette (pastry).
  • Accommodation
  • Category B

    You will get a good night’s sleep when you stay in these 3-star hotels or charming Bed and Breakfasts. All properties have been selected for their cleanliness, style and friendliness of the staff. A hearty breakfast is included!
    * Example of the type of accommodation
  • Bikes, luggage and documents
  • Bikes

    On your arrival day, we provide you with:

    • a touring bike adjusted to your size or a tandem
    • equipped : front rack pack with an integrated file compartment, saddlebag, helmet (on demand), reflective vest, repairing toolkit with patches etc.

    We also provide you with the appropriate equipment for your children : baby seat, bike trailer or trailer bike depending on their age and size.

    Electric bikes are also available for adults (+1m55).

    You can of course also bring your own bikes, in this case a reduction will be applied (see the Tarif tab)


    Luggage

    Our services include luggage transport in order to let you enjoy your trip comfortably and without stress :
    • We transport your luggage from one accommodation to the next using a private vehicle.
    • Your luggage is directly delivered in your accommodation before you arrive.
    • We provide a saddlebag for the things you shall need during the day.

    Our word of advice : as we know from experience, we strongly recommend you to avoid wearing a backpack during your cycling trip.
    If you expect to arrive at the next accommodation before 5 p.m., we recommend that you take an extra set of clothes with you in your bicycle bag.


    Travel documents

    A cycling holiday is the best way to explore a region and discover its culture, landscapes and local traditions.

    Your tour is self-guided to give you the freedom to ride at your own pace. You will be provided all the information you need to enjoy the itinerary and its points of interests.

    We can provide you with travel documents in paper format (for a supplement of €15 for printing and postage), which include:
    • a roadbook with maps that we drew at the easiest scale to follow on a bike
    • a roadbook with step-by-step description giving the direction to follow at each intersection and highlighting the points of interest

    Example of a map and of a step-by-step description


    Our GPS App

    For this trip, you can also use our smartphone app featuring GPS guidance (without extra fee).

    You will find in the app all the information given in the map and step-by-step roadbooks. You will be located on the itinerary with the GPS device of your phone. The route and directions to follow will be both viewable on the screen of your phone and announced aloud. As you ride along the itinerary, you will be given information about visits, restaurants, services and useful alerts on the way.

    -> You need to have a smartphone and download Le Velo Voyageur app on your Apple or Android store before the trip. All details concerning the downloading and the use of the application will be given after we have confirmed the booking and the balance is paid. Once the trip is downloaded, the GPS guidance can be used off-line.
  • Practical information
  • To get to departure point:
    • By plane: flight for Bâle (Switzerland) and train to Belfort-Montbeliard TGV (50min).
    • By train: Regional train or TGV to Belfort-Ville or Belfort-Montbeliard TGV. To plan your trip, www.raileurope.com.

    Parking:
    • We will inform you about the different options (free and paid-parking) to park your car next to your accomodation in your travel documents.

    To reach back the starting point:
    • There is a train between Besançon and Belfort (1 train per hour, duration: between 1h15 and 2h45 with a connection in Besançon or Mulhouse). All practical information will be in your travel documents.
    • You can choose to use a private transfer from Dole to Belfort (in the booking form)


     
  • Reviews
  •   Memory of the trip  

    prev next
    1 2 3 4 5
    3 bike travelers reviews 5.00 / 5

    Claude

    On the 2024-07-18 by Claude
    Séjour très agréable dans cette région magnifique.

    Voyage Belfort-Dijon

    On the 2022-08-27 by Greg
    Excellent pour une première expérience... Tracé facile, accessible à tous. L'organisation est au top, et les étapes bien choisies, avec de multiples visites à faire et des lieux magnifiques à découvrir. N'hésitez surtout pas à rester 2 jours sur Dijon...

    Encore une belle découverte et une belle région française

    On the 2020-08-25 by OdileB
    Quelle belle découverte que la vallée du Doubs (Belfort à Dijon). C'est très roulant, même s'il y a quelques petites côte parfois, c'est tout à fait agréable; c'était notre challenge du jour! C'était notre 3e départ avec Le Vélo voyageur, et franchement, ce ne sera pas la dernière. Très confortable, le transfert des bagages. 4 hôtels de qualité et très bien situés, ainsi que 2 chambres d'hôtes superbes avec des propriétaires adorables. Le seul bémol a été l'application guidée qui n'a pas tenue toute ses promesses ; heureusement, le support papier est très fiable et pratique. Hâte de repartir avec vous!
  • Download
    the trip description
Top