MOIRANS-EN-MONTAGNE
Stage town for the second time Town in Jura (39)
Population: 2,130 (Moirantins, Moirantines), 24,500 in the Terre d'Émeraude Community of communes.
Specialities: woodturning, toys, Comté dishes and Jura wines
Personalities: Épiphane Dunod (missionary), Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle (author of the Marseillaise), Louis Pasteur (scientist), Jules Grévy, Edgar Faure (politicians), Alexis Vuillermoz (cyclist), Jason Lamy-Chappuis (Olympic champion in Nordic combined)
Sport : Jura Sud Football. Karting. Tour du Jura (cycling), Gentleman Alexis Vuillermoz, Enduro des Lacs (motorbike), French Karting Championship, Triathlon du Lac de Vouglans.
Economy: Toy industry, automotive, medical, crafts, local know-how, wood trade school, health centre, retirement home, tourism (Vouglans lake and dam, beaches, Via Ferrata du Regardoir, outdoor activities, family hikes, etc.)
Festivals: Idéklic (young audience), Christmas in Toyland, Haut-Jura music festival.
Signature: Toy Capital
Labels: Towns and Crafts, Green Resort, Tourist Commune, Tourism and Handicap
Websites: http://www.moiransenmontagne.fr/ / https://www.terredemeraudetourisme.com/ / https://www.terredemeraude.fr/ / https://www.jura.fr/
MOIRANS-EN-MONTAGNE AND CYCLING
Vuillermoz at home
In 2016, Alexis Vuillermoz was highly expected for the first stage of the Tour de France in Moirans-en-Montagne. The French riders was born in 1988 in Saint-Claude, a few miles from the town, where he already sponsors a "gentleman's race" in his name, which takes place in October. Winner of a stage of the Tour de France in Mûr de Bretagne the year before, the former mountain biker was very promising, but multiple fractures didn't always allow him to develop at his best level. In 2021, he moved from Ag2R to TotalEnergies, and in 2022, the Jura rider returned to his best by winning a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. This 2016 stage started in Moirans and was won in Bern by Peter Sagan.
SIGHTS
Toy Museum (Musée de France)
Warm and playful spaces host one of the most beautiful collections of games and toys in Europe. For children: booklet and game areas, children's trail, workshops, etc.
Via Ferrata of Le Regardoir
The only one of its kind in Burgundy-Franche Comté and overlooking the Vouglans Lake, the itinerary follows the Sous le Regardoir cliff which offers a breathtaking view. An introductory course for children (accessible from 1m10), footbridges, ladders, monkey bridges and escape routes will appeal to both beginners and experienced climbers.
Lake Vouglans
With its 35-km length, it is the third largest artificial lake in France. Lookouts, sandy beaches and hiking trails allow you to contemplate its wooded shores and dive into this immense expanse of turquoise water, a paradise for fishermen and boaters. But the discovery of this great lake would not be complete without that of the impressive Vouglans dam which gave birth to it.
The 7 tales in walks
Jura Sud has surprising trails where imagination and creativity are given pride of place. This is an original concept of storytelling walks for children. They will be immersed in the stories of the "Imps with colds", the "Learned lizards", etc.
TO EAT
Bleu de Gex
On the heights of the Jura mountains, some fifty milk producers, 4 cheese dairies and a farm producer are busy producing Bleu de Gex Haut-Jura, a blue-veined cheese with a surprisingly mild taste. This cheese made from raw cow's milk benefits from an exceptional terroir, mostly included in the territory of the Haut-Jura Regional Natural Park, straddling the two departments of Ain and Jura. Also known as Bleu de Septmoncel, Bleu de Gex comes in the form of a wheel weighing about 8 kg. Very mild, this cheese has lactic aromas with notes of chanterelle mushrooms. However, it can be more powerful when it is further matured and is therefore known as Perrachu. Bleu de Gex has a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin), guaranteeing the values of its original region. Thus, each actor in the sector, milk producer or cheesemaker, must respect strict specifications which define a production area as well as recognised and proven know-how. A restaurant in Moirans, La Bergerie, offers a recipe for a pear and Bleu de Gex tart which is very effective.
