Quick look
What To See
Eating Out
Sleepover
Getting There

France has always been a popular destination for cheese and wine lovers alike. Less well known is the unspoilt French Province of Franche-Comté, the home of Comté cheese and Jura wines. Oh, and of course Absinthe.

What To See : Back to top

Picture a land of dark fir forests, alpine mountains, meadows and lakes. Add a friendly local community with an ethos of sharing. Then add some culinary highlights that would wow the most travelled foodie. There you have Franche-Comté and its four departments of Doubs, Jura, Haute-Saône and Territoire de Belfort.

With parts of the Province reaching altitudes of 837 metres above sea level, even a gulp of its pure air is rejuvenating. The Jura Mountains to the east and the Vosges Mountains to the north have prevented overdevelopment and Franche-Comté is a culinary secret waiting to be explored.

The pretty town of Arbois, with its central square and streets lined with ancient houses -including Louis Pasteur’s family home - is worth a visit. Arbois is also home to Pecauld Castle. Built in the 12th and 14th centuries, the castle now houses a wine museum celebrating the rich history of Jura wines and offers seminars and tastings.

The region of Jura is home to 220 wine makes and has been awarded various types of Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC). AOC is an essential benchmark of quality and ensures that these wines are subject to very strict rules at every level of production.

Each of the Jura wines I tasted at Pecauld Castle had an individual flavour but most resembled the aroma and taste of sherry. Very much a love or hate affair for me. The unique and aromatic Vin Jaune (Yellow wine) provided novelty value while my favourite white was the crisp and effervescent Crémante du Jura. The reds like Trousseau and Poulsard were nicely light and sharp.www.chateaupecauld.com

One of the culinary highlights is the local hard cheese Comté, and I had the satisfying opportunity to see the whole production process through. The first stop was to meet local farmer Jean François Marmier one of the local producers who welcomes visitors to his farm and is happy for you to try your hand at milking a cow.

Next was a visit to one of the ancient rural cooperatives ‘Fruitieres’ to see the cheese being made. The one I visited makes 28 AOC Comté cheeses a day in the traditional, handmade way. As a result, no two Comté cheeses are the same. The red and white Montbéliard cattle graze in prairies rich in natural flora and what they eat also has an impact on quality. Other local cheeses include AOC Morbier with its distinctive black ash line running through its middle.

Last stop on my cheese journey was to Fort Saint Antoine in Pontarlier where Comté is stored and matured. The former military fort now houses 65,000 cheeses. Built at the end of the 19th century it was bought by the village in the 1960s. Marcel Petite had an idea to use it to store and mature cheese slowly over a long period of time, an idea that was new at the time.

We were shown around the cellars and told that the wheels of Comté cheese are turned every day and salted every other to give the cheese its waxy rind. Sold anywhere between six months to two years, the more mature cheese had an even firmer texture and a nutty flavour. The fort runs individual tours on a Thursday but groups should call ahead and reserve. www.comte-petite.com

It would be wrong to come all this way and miss a visit to the birthplace of the green fairy itself. The Emile Pernot Absinthe distillery in the town of La Cluse-et-Mijoux is one of only two working distilleries left of 22 in the area that make traditionally distilled Absinthe. Here absinthe is distilled using only locally grown wormwood, green anise seed, fennel and a variety of aromatic herbs and spices.

We were shown the machinery and talked through the process by experts. Originally developed as a medicine for digestive problems, Absinthe was believed to have hallucinogenic properties and linked to deaths so it was forbidden in France between 1915 and 2001. The ‘green fairy’ is now on sale again after a rogue molecule - blamed for the problems - was isolated and removed from the production process.

Other local liquor specialties are also produced and sold here including Grande Liquer un Sapin; a speciality of the region that is forest pine scented and tastes of Christmas.

Open all year for visits, tastings and sales.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get better I visited the Edouard Hirsinger Patisserie in Arbois. Established 100 years ago the patisserie has a tradition that every 30 years a son takes over. Edouard Hirsinger was awarded the prize of Best Chocolatier of France in 1996.

Edouard uses milk from the local co-operative and organic fair trade cocoa from Peru. His fabulous and intriguing range of chocolates changes by the season and include green pepper, liquorice or tomato and basil. In production I saw dainty little pears, toadstools, leeks and potatoes, all made of chocolate. I tried some of his Autumn collection, including Almond Sugar and Saffron and everything tasted deeply chocolaty and divine.

www.chocolat-hirsinger.com/museecentenaire

Eating Out : Back to top

The Restaurant du Fromage in Malbuisson does what it says on the tin. Close to Lake Saint-Point, this restaurant serves different cheeses in varying stages of solidity. The Raclette cheese is recommended. This is melted in front of a Raclette grill then scraped off on to a plate of boiled potatoes, grilled meats or gherkins. The Tartiflette (type of frittata containing potatoes and meat) was also good and the desserts weren’t bad either. Prices start from € 19 with aperitif. Bookings recommended as the restaurant seats a maximum of 50 people. Closed November 15 to December 11, 2009.

www.hotel-le-lac.fr/restaurant-typique-du-fromage-jura-doubs.html

Making use of seasonal and local produce is Mark Faivre at his Restaurant at the Michelin-star Bon Accueil Hotel, Malbuisson. You can expect dishes like gentiane sorbet made from bitter alcohol, a main of Farm Chicken with Yellow Wine and Morel Mushrooms and gorgeous dark chocolate desserts. The food was honest, colourful and it tasted great. Set menu prices start from €32, A la Carte dishes also available.

www.le-bon-accueil.fr

For something a bit more special there is the Michelin-star Chateau de Germigney restaurant at Port Lesney. The vaulted dining room with its wooden floors sets the scene for the magnificent food to come. Head Chef Pierre Basso-Moro produces exquisite dishes to savour slowly. Each course is served with its own accompanying glass of wine.

I had the Set Menu du Marquis at €99. When the Amuse Bouche arrived and was topped with generous shavings of truffle I knew it could only get better. It did. Trout eggs, Red snapper and eight sublime courses later I felt I had tasted almost everything the region had to offer. And it was wonderful. Set menus start at €39 for the Menu du Marché.

www.chateaudegermigney.com

Sleepover : Back to top

The Bon Accueil Hotel, Malbuisson is close to du Lac Saint-Point and its 12 rooms offer pleasant and comfortable accommodation. My standard double room was a decent size, while the light natural woods and warm colours made it feel cosy.

www.le-bon-accueil.fr

For those wanting a special experience the impressive Chateau de Germigney is an 18th century manor complete with a gravel drive, gardens, a pool and fountain. Each room is unique and undeniably luxurious with silky drapes and period furniture. Boasting three suites, one apartment and 17 rooms you will be spoilt for choice. Chateau de Germigney has been a member of the Relais & Chäteau group since 1999.

www.chateaudegermigney.com

Chez Les Colin is Christiane Colin’s cosy guest house higher up in the Jura Mountains. Christiane provides rustic home cooked food using local produce like sausages from Morteau and Montbéliard cows. Vegetarians might not fare so well in this region. Mind you, even Christiane’s salads are incredible as she makes use of handpicked local seeds, flowers and plants. She provides the local media with her own devised recipes.

Christiane also holds cookery, yoga and painting breaks. Her guest house has five pretty, fresh looking rooms.

www.chezlescolin.fr

Opened two years ago and a lot more style conscious is La Closeries des Capucines, a stunning B&B guesthouse in Arbois. Each room is a different colour and style, from lime greens to slate greys and even creased effect wallpaper, every detail has been thought through.

www.closerielescapucines.com/accueilgb.html

Getting There : Back to top

By train
Eurostar to Paris www.eurostar.com then daily high speed services (TGV) from Paris and Lille to reach Bescancon, Belfort, Dole, Frasne, Montbeliard, Mouchard and Pontarlier.

By plane
The region is about an hour’s drive northeast of Geneva Airport www.gra.ch. Air-lines flying there include EasyJet (www.easyjet.com), Flybe (0871 700 2000, www.flybe.com) and Jet2 (0871 226 1737, www.jet2.com).

Other airports are:
Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport
Tel: +33(0)3 89 90 31 11
www.euroairport.com

Lyon Saint-Exupery Airport
Tel: +33 (0) 4 26 00 70 07
www.lyon.aeroport.fr

For more information visit /www.franche-comte.org