Główny Szlak Beskidzki
Main Trail of Beskidy
The place
hiking mountain trail in Poland with a length of 496 km
Why go
Crêt de la Neige (1,720 m, the highest point of the Jura). Lac de Saint-Point. Gorges du Doubs. View over Lake Geneva and the Alps from the upper ridges. AOP cheeses (Comté, Morbier, Mont d'Or) in the dairies passed along the way.
A bit of history
The Grande Traversée du Jura walking route was waymarked by regional associations in the 1980s, complementing the cross-country ski trail of the same name created in 1977. It showcases a territory long seen merely as a passage between France and Switzerland.
Getting there
Mandeure: station (30 min from Besançon). Nyon (CH): CFF station on the Geneva–Lausanne line. By car: from Besançon or Geneva.
Recommended gear
Waterproof boots. Warm clothing (moderate altitude but frequent wind). Trekking poles useful. No technical gear needed.
Best season
May to October for hiking. December to March for cross-country skiing. Autumn ideal (colourful forests, fewer crowds).